Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel attends the award of the Coudenhove-Kalergi European Prize to President Iohannis

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel on Wednesday, March 4, attended the ceremony awarding the Coudenhove-Kalergi European Prize to Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis at Cotroceni Palace. The award was presented by His Serene Highness Prince Nikolaus von Liechtenstein, President of the European Society Coudenhove-Kalergi. The event was attended by Mr. Donald Tusk, President of the European People’s…

Mar 6, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Metropolitan invites doctor to tell believers how to avoid coronavirus

As people across Romania are gripped by anxiety, hoping that the coronavirus doesn’t affect them, His Eminence Metropolitan Ioan of Banat invited a doctor to address believers following the Sunday Divine Liturgy on how to avoid the spread of the new virus. “Dear brothers and sisters, seeing the anxiety and the disorder, because such a…

Mar 5, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Newly consecrated Bishop Benedict celebrates first Divine Liturgy in home town

One week after his ordination to the episcopate, His Grace Bishop Benedict of Bistrița, Romania’s youngest Orthodox hierarch, celebrated his first Divine Liturgy in his home town Sartăş. Addressing those present, the assistant bishop to the Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac, and Cluj, confessed that after his ordination the first thing that came to his mind…

Mar 5, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop of Huși: We live in an age of technology and another type of fasting is required, a media quarantine

His Grace Bishop Ignatie of Huși cautioned that in an age of technology we should extend our fasting rules to technology in order to gain spiritual peace during Lent. ‘We live in an age of technology and another type of fasting is required, a media quarantine,’ the Bishop of Huși stressed during Forgiveness Vespers marking…

Mar 5, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Divine Liturgy, Hymns on Lazarus Saturday chanted by Tronos Choir available on Spotify

Selected hymns from the Divine Liturgy and Lazarus Saturday chanted by the famous Tronos Choir of the Romanian Patriarchate are now available on Spotify. The Lazarus Saturday album includes two hymns in Arabic: ‘Having secretly received the command’ (Akathist to the Theotokos), and ‘My soul, my soul’ (kondakion in the Great Canon). The hymns chanted…

Mar 5, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolis of Bessarabia urges calm and discernment over coronavirus fears

The Metropolis of Bessarabia urged believers to remain calm and to strictly follow the recommendations transmitted by the health authorities to avoid infections with the new coronavirus (Covid-19). In a press release, the Orthodox Metropolis of Bessarabia listed the main recommendations of authorities to prevent the spread of coronavirus: wash hands and face vigorously with…

Mar 4, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarch offers reflections on Great Lent: from pagan training school to Christian repentance school

The first part of the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete was officiated in all Orthodox churches on Monday evening, March 2, 2020, marking the beginning of Great Lent. At the patriarchal cathedral in Bucharest, the Great Canon was read out by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania who spoke about repentance as the…

Mar 4, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel: No one can enter Lent without forgiveness

“No one can enter into fasting, as a spiritual struggle for the cleansing of sins and the lightening of the soul, without forgiveness,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania explained in his homily at the Chapel of St. Gregory the Enlightener in the Patriarchal residence in Bucharest on the Sunday of the Expulsion of Adam…

Mar 3, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel sends pastoral message to strengthen faith and Eucharistic communion

The Press office of the Romanian Patriarchate published a communiqué on February 27, 2020, in the context of excessive media coverage of the epidemic caused by Coronavirus (Covid – 19) and following requests from some state institutions that the Church should take measures to prevent the spread of the virus and to reduce the population’s…

Feb 28, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

The Week in Pictures: February 17 – 23, 2020

Orthodox lifestyle, luminous portraits and pictures taken at religious events throughout Romania comprise this week’s selection of photos. Follow us on Twitter: @BasilicaNews We would gladly include one of your photos depicting Orthodox life in our weekly selection. All you have to do is send the picture(s) you have taken to our email address [info…

Feb 28, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Catechetical Homily of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the beginning of Holy and Great Lent, 2020

The Ecumenical Patriarchate has published Patriarch Bartholomew’s Catechetical Homily at the opening of Holy and Great Lent (2020). + BARTHOLOMEW BY GOD’S MERCY ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE – NEW ROME AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH, MAY THE GRACE AND PEACE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, TOGETHER WITH OUR PRAYER, BLESSING…

Feb 27, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu