Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox parish in Heidelberg to acquire its first church

The Romanian Orthodox community in Heidelberg, Germany, will soon have a church of its own after the parish council of the local Roman Catholic community voted on Tuesday to transfer St Joseph’s Church in Eppelheim to the Romanian Orthodox Parish of the Holy Trinity. Fr Marius-Adrian Călin, one of the parish’s priests, described the decision…

Jul 9, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan of Bessarabia-elect Antonie to take office in Sunday enthronement

Bishop Antonie of Bălți will be enthroned as Archbishop of Chișinău, Metropolitan of Bessarabia and Exarch of the Territories on Sunday in Chișinău. The enthronement ceremony will take place during the Divine Liturgy, beginning at 8:30 a.m., at the Church of the Three Holy Hierarchs in the capital of the Republic of Moldova. The service…

Jul 9, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Hierarchs celebrate patronal feast at Halmyris Monastery, site of Saints Epictetus and Astion’s martyrdom

Archbishop Casian of the Lower Danube and Bishop Visarion of Tulcea celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Wednesday at Halmyris Monastery in Tulcea County on the patronal feast of Saints Epictetus and Astion. Archbishop Casian highlighted the decisive role the witness of the two holy martyrs played in the spread of Christianity, noting that “through their…

Jul 9, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Archaeologists uncover previously unknown 1,600-year-old early Christian basilica in northern Italy

A vast early Christian basilica dating back approximately 1,600 years, previously unknown to scholars, has been discovered in the Italian town of Oderzo, in the province of Treviso, northern Italy. According to a report by Archaeo Reporter, the discovery was made on the site of the town’s former fish market during preventive archaeological excavations that…

Jul 9, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Icon found intact after house fire offers hope to Romanian family of six children

A partially preserved icon discovered inside a home destroyed by fire has become a symbol of hope for a family with six children in Agafton, Botoșani County, after firefighters found it among the ruins. “Sometimes, even after the greatest disaster, something remains to remind us not to lose hope. This icon was found by firefighters…

Jul 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Adult catechumen received into Romanian Orthodox Church through baptism

An adult catechumen was received into the Romanian Orthodox Church through the Mystery of Holy Baptism last Saturday at the Church of Sts Constantine and Helen in Comănești, Bacău County. “Such an occasion reminds us that every baptism is first and foremost the victory of God’s love over human estrangement and the beginning of a…

Jul 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Newly ordained Assistant Bishop Iachint: The Divine Liturgy is the beginning of every ministry

His Grace Assistant Bishop Iachint of the Pacific of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand celebrated his first Divine Liturgy following his episcopal ordination on Sunday, saying there could be no more fitting beginning to his ministry than the Eucharistic celebration. He concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with His Grace Assistant Bishop Timotei…

Jul 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Damaschin: Only God can free us from sin, passions and spiritual weakness

His Grace Assistant Bishop Damaschin of Dorna from the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Sunday at St Demetrius the Myrrh-gusherParish in Trei Movile, Suceava County, where he stressed that only God can deliver people from sin and spiritual weakness. The bishop visited the parish to bless the recently completed restoration…

Jul 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania launches ARC camps to reconnect 9,000 diaspora youth with their heritage

The 2026 edition of the ARC Camps programme officially opened in Bucharest on Monday, with around 9,000 Romanian children and young people from the diaspora and historic Romanian communities expected to take part in activities throughout the summer aimed at strengthening their connection to Romania’s language, culture and traditions. According to a press release from…

Jul 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox parish joins Heidelberg’s new interfaith dialogue forum

The Romanian Orthodox ‘Holy Trinity’ Parish in Heidelberg, Germany, has been invited to join the Heidelberger Dialog der Religionen (“Heidelberg Dialogue of Religions”), a forum established by the city’s administration to bring together representatives of the city’s major religious communities. According to the City of Heidelberg, the initiative aims to bring together representatives of the…

Jul 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox clergy commemorate victims of 1949 Soviet deportations in Republic of Moldova

Victims of the 1949 Soviet deportations were commemorated on Monday across the Republic of Moldova, marking 77 years since one of the largest waves of Stalinist repression in the region. Memorial services were organised in numerous parishes of the Metropolis of Bessarabia, where clergy, public officials and faithful honoured those who suffered under the communist…

Jul 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu