Philotheus the Teacher of Putna

Philotheus was an archimandrite, hieromonk and teacher of the school of Putna Monastery in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, called by his disciples the most enlightened teacher. He fell asleep at the beginning of the seventeenth century, at about fifty. He is named in the Romanian Paterikon and venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization.

He learned from youth the fear of God and the labour of good works at Putna, and received his theological, patristic, catechetical and philosophical knowledge at Putna and on Mount Athos, where he struggled for some years. From the Athonite teachers he learned dogma, morals, asceticism, rhetoric, the Philokalia and the writings of the Holy Fathers. He knew Greek and Slavonic well. He returned to Putna as a man of prayer, confessor, teacher of Romanian and calligrapher.

He took over the school of Putna and in a short time its fame grew so much that none in Moldavia was more renowned. Dozens of monks came to him from Putna, Moldovița, Humor and Suceava, as well as young men preparing for village priesthood. Helped by Anthony the Chief Cantor, he trained disciples who learned Greek and Slavonic, the Jesus Prayer, or became chief cantors, calligraphers and writers. One of them was the hermit Isaiah of Moldovița, who dedicated a Tetraevangelion to him with words of gratitude.

The Paterikon says he made the school of Putna a true theological academy. He declined the rank of bishop and remained in the humility of monastic life. His name was known at Pechersk, on Athos and even at the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Feeling called to eternal life, he kissed his disciples and fell asleep in peace at Putna.