Patriarch Nicodim of Romania

His Beatitude Patriarch Nicodim of Romania
By God's mercy, Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Ungro-Vlachia, Locum tenens of the throne of Caesarea Cappadociae and Patriarch of All Romania
Church	Romanian Orthodox Church
See	Bucharest
Installed	5 July 1939
Term ended	27 February 1948
Predecessor	Patriarch Miron of Romania
Successor	Patriarch Justinian of Romania
Personal details
Birth name	Nicolae Munteanu
Born	(1864-12-06)6 December 1864 Pipirig, Neamț County
Died	27 February 1948(1948-02-27) (aged 83) Bucharest
Buried	Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral
Nationality	Romanian
Denomination	Christian Orthodox
Alma mater	Kiev-Mohyla Academy, Russian Empire

Patriarh Nicodim (centre), with Mihai I (right) and Gheorghiu-Dej (left) at a reception at the Soviet embassy, 1946

Nicodim (Romanian pronunciation: [nikoˈdim]), born Nicolae Munteanu ([nikoˈla.e munˈte̯anu]; 6 December 1864, Pipirig, Neamț County, Romania – 27 February 1948, Bucharest), was the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church (Patriarch of All Romania) between 1939 and 1948.

Biography[]

He studied theology at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, Russian Empire and became a monk at Neamț Monastery in 1894.

He was a supporter of the Iron Guard.^[1] Nicodim was supportive of the Royal Family of Romania and a notable anti-Communist, refusing to give support for the Soviet-backed Communist regime in the process of installation in Romania in 1945–1947.^{[citation needed]} Immediately, rumors circulated to the effect that he had been murdered, perhaps with Soviet approval. However, all available evidence indicates the patriarch died of natural causes.^[2]

Nicodim Munteanu was buried at the Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, next to the first Patriarch of Romania Miron Cristea.

Notes[]

External links[]

• (in Romanian) Nicodim Munteanu on the Romanian Patriarchate website