All newspapers today mourn the death of the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church who died after a surgical intervention on Monday. Aged 92, Patriarch Teoctist was a stand for Christianity and the spiritual leader of the country despite a controversial past, they say.

Elsewhere in the papers, politically ordered surveys put more fire onto the political scene as candidates get or lose the population’s support as they wish.

Newspapers today talk extensively about the causes of the death of the Romanian Patriarch, who died in hospital after a surgical intervention, reads Cotidianul.

The paper adds that in his 21 years of leading the Church, he managed to envision new ways for Christianity, receiving the historical visit of the Catholic Church leader, Pope John Paul II, in 1999.

Plus, the newspaper reads about the fight for the Patriarchal seat that is to come and announces to be very intense, bringing face to face two heads of metropolitan churches, Daniel and Bartolomeu.

The internal race for the succession of Teoctist, the paper adds, had already started a few years ago the creation of a new metropolitan church in Transylvania sparked differences within the Church leadership.

Gandul focuses on how a new Patriarch will be chosen among the 6 regional leaders of the Church. IPS Corneanu of Banat will take the seat for an interim period while negotiations and votes will lead to a new Patriarch.

The newspaper reads that Corneanu has publicly admitted to have collaborated with the secret communist police, the Securitate, as a priest.

Adevarul underlines the causes of death and extensively covers the Patriarch’s deeds in his calling.

Evenimentul Zilei reads about the mourning of the population who gathered at the hospital and at the Patriarchy to attend the ceremonies.

Romania libera put forward the name of the favored candidate, namely Daniel from the Northern counties.

On another tone, the political scene seems fresh in terms of the internal debate despite the summer recess. Cotidianul reads that the Presidency and the government’s chancellery manage their debate with surveys.

The newspaper underlines the fact that surveys are clearly politically biased and the numbers vary accordingly.

Thus, the Liberal Democrats, a small party supporting the President, supported a survey in which the President leads and on the other side, the Liberals put forward surveys where the President falls by 16% in polls.

The paper cites sources who doubt that the survey is objective as more people approve the actions of the Government.

Gandul reads, thus, that according to a survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute, Romanians disapprove the libertine behavior of the President.

Known for drinking and smoking, it seems that Romanians do not agree with the small 'sins' of the President.

Moreover, the survey shows that more than 70% of the population disapprove the disrespectful behavior of the President towards journalists. One of the President's most controverial outbursts towards press people came a few months ago when he called the journalist a “gypsy”.

Even so, if elections would be organized next Sunday, more than 60% of the population would vote for the incumbent President while Mircea Geoana, the leader of the Social Democrats (PSD), the main opposition party, would only receive 6.6%.