Aurelian Iftimiu

Bessarabian deportees carried their faith into Soviet exile, Romanian priest says

Fr Viorel Cojocaru, cultural adviser to the Archdiocese of Chișinău, explained in an interview with Doxa how Bessarabians deported from the province during the Soviet period preserved their faith and hope in God amid suffering. The priest said that although they were forced to abandon their homes and possessions, many of those deported “travelled with…

Aug 14, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Jordan signs deals to develop Jesus’ baptism site ahead of 2,000th anniversary

The Jordanian government has signed four agreements to develop the area where Jesus Christ was baptised as part of preparations to mark the 2,000th anniversary of the Baptism of the Lord in 2030. The agreements were signed on Wednesday at the Jordanian government headquarters in Amman following the first meeting of the National Committee for…

Aug 14, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Nicolae: Dormition of the Mother of God is ‘the feast of our hope’

“The Dormition of the Mother of God is also the feast of our hope,” Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas said on Thursday in a pastoral message for the feast. His Eminence explained that the Church does not regard this moment as one of despair, but as a testimony to the victory of life: “The Mother of…

Aug 14, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

From Eastern philosophy to Orthodoxy: 92 years since Fr Seraphim Rose’s birth

Thursday marks 92 years since the birth of Fr Seraphim Rose, one of the best-known American witnesses and apologists of Orthodoxy. His journey took him from the study of Eastern thought to his conversion at the age of 28, when he was received into the Orthodox Church through Baptism. Eugene Dennis Rose was born on…

Aug 13, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Jerusalem Patriarch honours Romanian Saint John Jacob at Choziba Monastery

His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem officiated a vigil service on Monday in honour of St John Jacob of Neamț at Choziba Monastery in Palestine. His Beatitude described the saint as “an offspring of Romania”. The service was celebrated by Patriarch Theophilos III together with His Eminence Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, Secretary-General of the…

Aug 13, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Youngest Romanian bishop urges young people in diaspora to ‘be bridges, not walls’

“You are the heart of the Church scattered throughout the world, like the seed of the Gospel carried to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8),” Assistant Bishop Iachint of the Pacific of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand told young Orthodox Christians on Wednesday. Marking International Youth Day, the youngest hierarch…

Aug 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel urges support for Romanian families abroad on Migrants’ Sunday

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church has called for stronger spiritual and family ties with Romanians living abroad, saying Orthodox parishes in the diaspora have become places where migrants can preserve their faith, language and cultural identity. In a message for the Sunday of Romanian Migrants, observed this year on 16 August,…

Aug 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Low Danube levels expose remains of St Constantine the Great’s Roman bridge

The foundations of a Roman bridge built across the Danube nearly 1,700 years ago have emerged as exceptionally low water levels exposed parts of the ancient structure, Reuters reported. The Bridge of Constantine was built in the early fourth century and inaugurated in 328 by the Holy Emperor Constantine the Great. It linked the ancient…

Aug 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

World Calligraphy Day celebrates an ancient art with deep roots in Christian tradition

World Calligraphy Day celebrates the art of handwriting, practised since antiquity. Over the centuries, calligraphy has embellished manuscripts and has also held an important place in the Christian tradition. The observance is held annually on the second Wednesday of August and is dedicated to the art of calligraphy and those who practise it. In 2026,…

Aug 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Târgoviște Archbishop marks name day, says Church journeys through history in footsteps of saints

“The Church journeys through history in the footsteps of the saints, and their fascinating experience and profound embrace of Christian values constitute that wonderful treasure of spirituality which inspires the lives of us all, young and old,” His Eminence Archbishop Nifon of Târgoviște, Honorary Metropolitan and Patriarchal Exarch, said on Tuesday. On the feast of…

Aug 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Ecumenical Patriarch marks 1,400 years since first chanting of Akathist Hymn at Blachernae

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I prayed last Friday at the Church of Blachernae in Constantinople, marking 1,400 years since the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God was first chanted. According to tradition, the hymn dedicated to the Mother of God was first chanted at the Church of Blachernae in Constantinople in 626, after the Byzantine…

Aug 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu