teaching at the Bucharest Theological Institute. During his time as a theology professor, he published a number of specialised works. Metropolitan of Transylvania Another series of promotions followed after a turn unforeseen by many at the time, but in the best tradition of precedents not only Byzantine, but also Eastern European and even Romanian, especially Transylvanian: witness Photius’ elevation to Patriarch of Constantinople from general, Ambrose becoming Bishop of Milan from civil administrator, professor Nicolae Bălan becoming Metropolitan of Transylvania, etc. On February 23, 1956, Vicar Bishop Teoctist Arăpașu ordained him deacon; the next day, the other Patriarchal Vicar Bishop, Antim Nica, ordained him priest, and on February 26, the National Church Council, gathered in electoral college according to its statute’s provisions, elected him Archbishop of Sibiu and Metropolitan of Transylvania. He replaced the eminent and recently deceased Nicolae Bălan. He then spent ten days in meditation before asking God to receive him into the ranks of the monks at Cernica Monastery on March 8, 1956. Already elected metropolitan, on March 15, 1956 Patriarch Justinian, Metropolitan Firmilian of Oltenia and Bishop Nicolae Colan of Cluj ordained him into the episcopate. Three days later, in the Sibiu Metropolitan Cathedral, he was given Andrei Șaguna’s crozier. During his short stay in Sibiu, among other activities, he founded the theological magazine Mitropolia Ardealului (nr. 1–2, Sep–Oct 1956) in place of the defunct Revista Teologică. Before Moisescu’s election as Metropolitan of Transylvania, Patriarch Justinian, in a long, meaningful and well-considered speech before the electoral college, described thus the candidate who should be elected: “There we will have to send the best of today’s clerics from our Church, a vigorously well-rounded personality, with a distinguished theological preparation, thoroughly aware of all the problems that our contemporary world presents”, for “new times require new people”. Metropolitan of Moldavia and Suceava Metropolitan Iustin spent only a short time at Sibiu. On January 10, 1957, he was elected Metropolitan of Moldavia and Suceava, and three days later he was installed in the seat once held by Dosoftei, Varlaam, Veniamin Costache, to name only the most prominent of his predecessors at Iași. Upon his election as Metropolitan of Moldavia and Suceava, he described his programme thus: “With all my efforts I will undertake with steadfast resolve to protect and keep the Holy places: churches, monasteries and sketes – glorious works of art – that form the diadem of the