Bishop Ioan-Casian (Tunaru)

Bishop Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) (1969-____)

Ioan may be spelt Ioann, John, Ion, Johannes, &c.

Early life of Liviu-Ionel Tunaru

Liviu-Ionel Tunaru was born on 20 February, 1969, in the city of Comãneşti, in Bacãu county, in the region of Moldavia, Romania.

His parents were the Priest Ioan Tunaru and Preoteasa Mariana Casian.

Liviu was raised as an Orthodox Christian in the bosom of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Liviu attended elementary school in his native city from 1975-1983.

He then went on to the Industrial High School, in the Math and Physics section, from 1983-1987.

Higher education

From 1989-1993 he was a student at the Andrei Şaguna Faculty of Theology in Sibiu, and he graduated with a thesis in Canon Law on the subject, “Economia in the Orthodox Church”, under the guidance of Dr. Ioan Floca. During his student years, he also came into contact with the spiritual and theological renewal movement then represented by Bishop Serafim (Joanta).

From 1993-1995, Liviu lived in the Saint John the Baptist Monastery in Jerusalem, where he received the first elements of a monastic formation. At the same time, he took courses there in Jerusalem in ancient Greek at the Flagellazione Pontifical Institute, and in the French language at the French Culture and Language Institute. As well, he began taking courses in iconography and icon restoration.

Monastic tonsure (rasophor), 1995

In 1995, Liviu-Ionel Tunaru was tonsured to be a rasophor monk by Metropolitan Serafim (Joanta) of Germany and Northern Europe. He was given the name Ioan-Casian, after Saint Ioan-Casian (John Cassian).

Further studies

From 1995-1998, through a scholarship for excellence received from a group of 20 Roman Catholic monasteries, the Monk Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) studied at the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm (Rome), in the Faculty of History, Monastic Spirituality, and Patristics. He also studied History, Art, and Classical Languages at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. He graduated with a thesis entitled “The Path to Freedom : a Study of Saint Maximos the Confessor’s Commentary on the Lord’s Prayer”. His academic co-ordinators were Jeremy Driscoll and Maciej Bielawski. During the same period, he did internships in several European monasteries : The Exaltation of the Holy Cross Benedictine Monastery (Chevetogne, Belgium), the Saint Dominic of Silos Benedictine Monastery (Burgos, Spain), and the Monastic Community of Bose, in Magnano, Italy. He attended the Romanian Saint John Cassian Parish in Rome, and he assisted with the chanting.

Following his studies, the Monk Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) was called by Metropolitan Iosif (Pop) of Western Europe to go to Paris, France, where he served as Administrative Secretary until 2002. During the same period, he directed the choir of Saint Parascheva–Saint Genoveva Church (Paris), and he conducted several concerts in Amiens, Paris (Notre Dame Cathedral, Saint Étienne Greek Orthodox Cathedral), UNESCO Headquarters, and Neuilly. He was also translator and editor of the metropolitanate magazine “Sfântul Ioan Casian”.

Diaconal ordination, Presbyteral ordination, 2001

On 23 June, 2001, Monk Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate.

On 24 June, 2001, Hierodeacon Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) was ordained and on the next day to the Holy Priesthood.

Pastoral service

Hieromonk Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) was assigned to the Orthodox Monastery in Malvialle, also called Exaltation of the Holy Cross Monastery, in Rochefort-Montagne, France. It is situated to the west of Clermont-Ferrand and also of Lyon. It is 425 km (265 mi) south of Paris.

Monastic tonsure (stavrophor), 2001

On 1 November, 2001, Hieromonk Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) was tonsured to be a monk in the Lesser Schema in the same monastery, and he was given the name Ioan (after Saint John Cassian).

Hieromonk Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) did a short internship at the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist (Maldon, Essex, England).

From 2002-2003, Hieromonk Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) was priest of the Church of Saint Joseph of Bordeaux, where he gave several lectures on the subject, “The Great Feasts of the Church Year in the Orthodox Church” in collaboration with the Ogivky Christian Art and Iconography Association, and a Biblical workshop on several Biblical texts.

Move to North America, 2003

From April 2003 until June 2006, Hieromonk Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) was the priest of the Romanian Orthodox parish of Saint Nicholas in Queens, New York (USA) in North America, where he also edited the parish newsletter. He gave a series of lectures (and catechetical lectures) on themes inspired by the Gospel readings of Great Lent (“Fasting and its Meaning”, “Orthodoxy”, “Prayer”, “On the Holy Cross”, and “Stages in the Spiritual Life”). He was in charge of the Saint Dumitru Retreat and Monastic Centre (Middletown, New York), where he set up a memorial room in honour of its founder, Archimandrite Vasile (Vasilachi).

During 2004-2007, he also led a Christian summer camp there for children from metropolitan New York City, the Eastern USA, and Canada.

In 2004, Hieromonk Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.

Having been proposed by Archbishop Nicolae (Condrea) and approved by the Eparchial Council, Archimandrite Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) was chosen on 2 March, 2006 by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church to become the Vicar-Bishop for the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas.

Episcopal ordination, 2006

On 2 July, 2006, Archimandrite Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate at the Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helen in Chicago, Illinois, with the title “Bishop of Vicina”.

Episcopal service

Since that time, Bishop Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) has conducted his pastoral mission especially amongst the Romanian parishes on the East Coast of the USA and Canada. He initiated the construction of the new church at the Saint Dumitru Retreat and Monastic Centre in Middletown, New York, as well as the iconography project at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Queens, New York. He has given several lectures : at the Church of Saint John the Compassionate (Toronto, Ontario, September 2007) ; 2 lectures inspired by the thinking of Saint Silouan – “Saint Silouan the Athonite in Orthodox Christian Thought”, and “Saint Silouan—Askesis of the Broken Heart” ; at Columbia University’s Union Theological Seminary in New York City, a lecture entitled, “The Historian’s Mission in the Church” ; and on the occasion of the symposium on the theme of “Transfiguration” (December, 2007) the lecture, “Saint John Chrysostom’s Homily on the Transfiguration : A structural analysis, meaning, and importance”.

Service in Canada

Bishop Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) participates in the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in North and Central America, and as well in the Canadian Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops. This latter assembly has come to be called the “Assembly of the Orthodox Bishops of Canada”.

Before 2016, plans were developed to establish a separate diocese in Canada. To this end, a cathedral began to be established in Saint-Hubert, Québec (in south-shore Montréal).

Bishop Ioan-Casian has been resident in Canada since 2007. He lived principally in a monastery near La Chute, Québec.

Bishop Ioan-Casian (Tunaru)

Canadian bishop, Canadian diocese, 2016

On 28 October, 2016, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Romanian Orthodox Church blessed the establishment of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas, which is composed of 2 dioceses : The Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas, and the newly-created Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada.

At the same session, Bishop Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) was elected to become the Diocesan Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada.

In 2017, the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the Americas was elevated by the Holy Synod of Bishops in Romania to the status of a Metropolis. Archbishop Nicolae (Condrea) was elevated to the dignity of metropolitan. At the same time, the Canadian deaneries were blessed by the Holy Synod of Bishops of Romania to become a diocese.

Enthronement as Diocesan Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada, 2017

On 7 May, 2017, Bishop Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) was enthroned as the ruling Bishop of Canada of the new Romanian Diocese of Canada. Therefore, all the parishes in Canada of what is now the metropolis became parishes under his omophor, and a part of the new Canadian diocese.

The Enthronement Divine Liturgy was served at the Church of Saint George in Saint-Hubert, Montréal, Québec. Metropolitan Nifon (Mihaita) of Târgovişte represented Patriarch Daniel (Ciobotea) of Romania. Metropolitan Nicolae (Condrea) presided over the enthronement.

Enthronement Divine Liturgy

Enthronement conclusion

In 2020-2021, the Covid-19 virus came to Canada. With it and its treatment as a pandemic came repeated and prolonged closures and/or limited permitted attendance in the Temples everywhere in Canada. The particular nature of these limitations depended on the regulations established by each province. Interprovincial travel was severely curtailed, and international travel became almost impossible.

On 25 July, 2020, in the Greek Orthodox Temple of the Holy Cross in Laval, Greater Montréal, Québec, Bishop Ioan-Casian (Tunaru) participated with Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) and other bishops in the episcopal ordination of Bishop Bartholomew (Mostratos).

Bishop Ioan-Casian at ordination of Bishop Bartholomew (Mostratos)

— Bishop of Vicina 2006-2017. Preceded by : ___. Succeeded by : ___.

— Vicar-Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas 2006-2017.

— Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada 2017-____. Preceded by : The see was created. Succeeded by : ___.

References

Romanian Canadian Diocese biography

Romanian Wikipedia biography

Romanian Orthodoxwiki biography

Russian Wikipedia biography

Additional information :

Bugea, Eleanor, “Romanians in Canada” (Michigan : Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, 2009).

Tarasar, Constance J, ed., "Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America" (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.

Wyrwoll, Nikolaus ed., “Orthodoxia 2014-2015" (Regensburg : Ostkirchliches Institut, 2015). ISBN 978-7245-1959-1.

List of Living Bishops of the Romanian Orthodox Church

Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada

Saint Nicholas Romanian Orthodox Church, Queens, New York

Romanian Orthodox Metropolia, Canadian Diocese

Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada web-site

Patriarch Daniel (Ciabotea) of Romania

Romanian Orthodox Patriarchate web-site

Notice of establishment of the Metropolis and of the diocese

New decisions of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church regarding Romanians living in America (29 October, 2016)

Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada enthroned (5 September, 2017)