Video: Memorial of Metropolitan Demosten of the True Orthodox Church of Romania
(Romania) Funeral services were held for His Holiness, Metropolitan Demosten (Ionita), Primate of the True Orthodox Church of Romania (Slatioara) yesterday. He was 96 years old.
Metropolitan Demosten, born Dumitru Ionita in 1927, entered monasticism as a youth at Slatioara Monastery, where he was mentored by St. Glicherie (Tănase) of Romania. As a novice, he followed the commandment of obedience to the elders of the monastery, working diligently during the day and praying at night. After serving in the military, he returned to the monastery and was tonsured a monk by St. Glicherie.
In 1956, he was ordained a deacon by Metropolitan Galaction (Cordun, +1959) and, in 1957, a priest by the Holy Hierarch Glicherie. As a priest in the parish of the “Old Style” Church in Covasna, his pastoral activities were hindered by the communist regime, but he persevered. He was imprisoned multiple times for his religious convictions totaling 11 years. After his final release from prison, he returned to Slatioara Monastery, where the Holy Hierarch Glicherie entrusted him with the spiritual care of the nuns in the Bradatel-Suceava Monastery. After twenty-four years in the priesthood, he was ordained a bishop in the Slatioara Monastery Church by St. Glicherie, receiving the title of Bishop of Neamt.
Metropolitan Demosten would chair the Synod during a tumultuous period over the past two years with the removal of the previous first-hierarch Metropolitan Vlasie(Mogârzan), which was resolved in a brotherly manner before a full-blown schism erupted, the latter reposing in the peace of the Church in 2023.
Video of the funeral from Romania is below.
