Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Benedict praises Teoctist

Late Romanian Orthodox leader saluted by Pope

Castel Gandolfo, Aug. 6, 2007 (CWNews.com) - During his Sunday public audience on August 5, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) paid tribute to the recently deceased leader of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Teoctist.

The Pope characterized Teoctist as a "noble pastor" who had done a great service for ecumenical relations by visiting the Holy See and welcoming the 1999 visit to Romania by Pope John Paul II (bio - news)-- the first trip by the Roman Pontiff to a predominantly Orthodox country.

Noting that Patriarch Teoctist's funeral had been held on August 3, with Cardinal Walter Kasper (bio - news) present as a papal representative, the Holy Father eulogized the Romanian prelate by invoking the final words of the Orthodox liturgy: "May his memory be eternal."

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