Arad, Romania, February 10, 2026
Photo: glasulcetatii.ro
His Eminence Archbishop Timotei of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Arad marked 50 years since his consecration to the episcopacy on Sunday, a milestone that coincides with preparations for his 90th birthday later this year, reports the Basilica News Agency.
Abp. Timotei was consecrated on 8 February 1976, as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Timișoara and Caransebeș. He was elected Bishop of Arad in September 1984 and enthroned in December of that year. In 2009, following the elevation of the Diocese of Arad to an Archdiocese, he was raised to the rank of Archbishop.
He was born on June 4, 1936, in Timișoara and baptized with the name Traian Petru.
He studied theology in Bucharest between 1953 and 1957, later pursuing advanced studies in Switzerland at institutions in Neuchâtel, Bossey, and Fribourg. In 1973, he earned a doctorate in theology with a thesis on the Christology of St. Cyril of Alexandria. Between 1994 and 2012, he also served as a lecturer at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Arad.
His clerical service began with ordination as a celibate deacon in 1961 and as a priest in 1968. In 1969, he was tonsured a monk at Hodoș-Bodrog Monastery, receiving the name Timotei, and was elevated to the rank of archimandrite the following year.
Over five decades of episcopal ministry, Abp. Timotei has overseen extensive pastoral, educational, and cultural activity in western Romania. He played a central role in establishing theological education institutions in the region, including faculties and seminaries in Arad and Hunedoara County. He has also supported the construction and restoration of numerous churches, monasteries, and social institutions.
On the occasion of the anniversary, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel sent a message of congratulations, highlighting the Archbishop’s pastoral and cultural contributions. “With the help of God, the clergy, and his collaborators, Archbishop Timotei renewed and strengthened the spiritual life of monasteries and parishes, as well as the cultural activity of the eparchy,” the Patriarch said.
He added that “among all these achievements, the most significant remains the founding of the new Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Arad … the first Orthodox episcopal cathedral begun, completed, and consecrated in Romania after the fall of the communist regime.”
Abp. Timotei is an honorary citizen of Arad and several other localities, a recipient of multiple academic distinctions, and holds honorary doctorates from various universities. His 90th birthday will be celebrated on June 4.
Follow OrthoChristian on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe and Gab!
