Aurelian Iftimiu

New priest ordained in Bucharest for Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate

The patriarchal auxiliary bishop Varlaam of Ploiesti performed the ordination to the priesthood of Deacon Gheorghe Chascear during the Divine Liturgy at St Anthimos Monastery in Bucharest on Sunday, October 11, 2020. Father Gheorghe Chascear is of Ukrainian origin and will serve at Campulung la Tisa parish within the Romanian Patriarchate’s Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate. ‘We…

Oct 19, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Ordination to the Priesthood at St Anthimos Monastery: Photo Gallery

On Sunday, October 11, 2020, the Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiesti celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St Anthimos Monastery in Bucharest, during which he ordained a priest for the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate. Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu Follow us on Twitter: @BasilicaPhotos

Oct 19, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

St Paisios of Neamt has founded a school of spirituality for whole Orthodoxy, Patriarch Daniel says during reliquary blessing service

Patriarch Daniel on Thursday blessed a processional reliquary containing a fragment of the relics of St Paisios of Neamț, saying that the Saint founded a school of spirituality useful for the whole Orthodoxy. St. Paisios of Neamț (Velichkovsky) organized and guided monastic communities at Dragomirna, Secu and Neamț monasteries in Romania. He translated the Philokalia…

Oct 16, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarchate Spokesperson demands respect for most of the good and faithful people of the country: Pilgrimage is the expression of responsible religious freedom

The Romanian Patriarchate’s Spokesperson Vasile Bănescu commented on the decision to ban this year’s pilgrimage from Bucharest, on the patronal feast of the Patriarchal Cathedral. The spokesman reminded that the pilgrimage is a manifestation of religious freedom and that pilgrims and the Romanian Orthodox Church deserve more respect and trust from the authorities. “The rigorously…

Oct 15, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch of Romania calls for Church-State co-responsibility and cooperation to avoid excessive measures

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania has urged co-responsibility and cooperation between the Church and the Romanian State after the pilgrimage to Iasi for the feast of Saint Parascheva was banned for non-locals. Call for co-responsibility and cooperation to avoid excessive constraints: full text The Romanian Patriarchate expresses its full solidarity with all Orthodox believers…

Oct 9, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Teofan warns against religious freedom violations as only locals can venerate relics of St. Parascheva

Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina has warned against the violation of religious freedom rights as authorities decided that only people domiciled in Iași are allowed to enter the Metropolitan Cathedral and venerate the holy relics of Saint Parascheva. “Moldavia is currently living one of the saddest periods in its history.” The Metropolitan released a…

Oct 9, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

To to preserve religious freedom, sanitary measures must be taken with the utmost discernment: Patriarchate’s Spokesperson

The spokesman of the Romanian Patriarchate Vasile Bănescu reacted to the decision by which the National Committee for Emergency Situations (CNSU) announced that organizing events on religious holidays is allowed only with the participation of those who live or reside in that specific locality. The measure was motivated by the fact that the risk of…

Oct 8, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Father Ștefan Buchiu speaks about Father Stăniloae’s contribution to the Romanian and universal theology and culture

In an interview for Radio Trinitas, Rev. Stefan Buchiu, professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology at the University of Bucharest, presented the contribution of Father Dumitru Staniloae to Romanian and universal theology and culture. The novelty and strength of Father Stăniloae’s theology are given by the exit from academism and its openness to spirituality,…

Oct 8, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Austria’s Greek Metropolitan visits construction site of Romanian Church in Vienna

His Eminence Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria paid a visit to the construction site of the Romanian Church in Vienna on Tuesday, Oct. 6. “Together with the Architects Georg Baldass and Mihaela Ionescu we presented to the Metropolitan the architecture of the church and we discussed the building works, the challenges and difficulties that appear during…

Oct 8, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Archdiocese of Iași: Grievous that Romanians can come here for any purpose except annual St. Parascheva pilgrimage

The feast of St. Parascheva the protectress of Moldova on October 14 is one of the largest religious celebrations in the liturgical calendar in the Romanian Orthodox Church. Every year, tens of thousands of Orthodox faithful flock to the city of Iași to venerate the saint’s precious relics. Last year, the weekend-long celebrations drew more than…

Oct 8, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Memorial House of Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae set up in Bucharest

The great Romanian theologian of the 20th century has now a museum in the heart of Bucharest, near kilometre zero. The museum dedicated to Father Stăniloae was set up by the Old St George Parish and is located on the ground floor of the parish house in the courtyard of the place of worship. …

Oct 6, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu