Aurelian Iftimiu

Restoration at Hagia Sophia uncovers underground structures after 3,000 tonnes of debris removed

Restoration and research work continues at Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, where approximately 3,000 tonnes of silt and rubble have been removed from underground structures. Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, provided local media with new details about the restoration and research underway at the former Byzantine church, according to the publication Turizm…

Nov 5, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian archbishop urges monks and nuns to use smartphones and technology with discernment

His Eminence Archbishop Ioachim of Roman and Bacău urged abbots and abbesses in his archdiocese to use mobile phones and new technologies in monasteries with discernment. His Eminence addressed the monks and nuns responsible for the archdiocese’s monastic communities during a synaxis held on Tuesday at the Diocesan Centre in Roman. “Use these modern and…

Nov 5, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel urges parents to share childcare and household responsibilities equally during Bucharest clergy conference

“Mothers make a special contribution to their children’s development, while fathers are called to be attentive, active and responsible. Raising children is a shared responsibility,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said on Monday, at the conclusion of the first day of the pastoral-missionary conference for clergy of the Archdiocese of Bucharest. “A mother’s self-sacrificing love for…

Nov 5, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox theologian Fr John Romanides remembered 25 years after his repose

The first day of November marked 25 years since the repose of Fr. John Romanides, a leading Orthodox theologian of the 20th century in dogmatic theology and patristics. John Savvas Romanides was born in 1927 to Greek parents who emigrated to America shortly after his birth. He studied theology at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School…

Nov 5, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Christian persecution worsens in more than half of countries studied, ACN report finds

Persecution of Christians has worsened in 10 of the 18 countries examined in the report Persecuted and Forgotten? 2024–2026, published by the international charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). The report, covering August 2024 to June 2026, found that none of the countries studied recorded an overall improvement. In many cases, conditions deteriorated…

Nov 4, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox Church representatives in Brussels prepare conference on AI and Christian values

Representatives of the Orthodox Churches to the European Union (CROCEU) met in Brussels to discuss preparations for an international conference dedicated to the teachings of the Church Fathers in the age of artificial intelligence. The meeting took place on Tuesday at the Ambiorix Orthodox Centre and was chaired by His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium,…

Nov 4, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox Nativity Fast begins on 15 November, with 14 days when fish is permitted

The Nativity Fast will begin this year on Sunday, 15 November. During the 40 days of preparation for Christmas, Orthodox Christians will have 14 days when fish is permitted, according to the Church calendar. Throughout this period, the Church encourages the faithful to intensify their prayers, attend religious services and perform acts of charity, combining…

Nov 4, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Polish Orthodox Church establishes burial rites for stillborn and unborn children

Members of the Holy Synod of the Polish Orthodox Church, meeting in Warsaw last week, established the burial rites for children who die at birth or before birth. Responding to enquiries from Polish Orthodox Christians in the Kraków area concerning the burial of stillborn children, the Synod clarified that the mandatory practice established in the…

Nov 4, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

First Divine Liturgy celebrated at Romanian-built wooden church in Japan

The Divine Liturgy was first celebrated on Sunday at the wooden church in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. The church stands within the grounds of Japan’s first Orthodox cemetery established by the Romanian Orthodox community, which is open to people of all nationalities wishing to be laid to rest in accordance with their faith. After about…

Nov 4, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Antonie urges parents and Church communities to guide young people with patience and trust

“Parents, clergy and the entire community are called to offer young people time, trust and guidance, helping them discover the freedom of a life lived in truth and communion with God,” His Eminence Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia said on Sunday. His Eminence celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother…

Nov 4, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel: True theology is a science of salvation and the Church’s missionary consciousness

Patriarch Daniel of Romania has called on Orthodox theology faculties to combine academic excellence with prayer, spiritual formation, and the Church’s pastoral mission, warning that theological education risks secularisation when it loses its connection to liturgical life. In a message to the 11th Congress of Orthodox Theology Faculties and Departments of the Romanian Patriarchate, held…

Nov 3, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu