Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox monasteries featured on new Romanian passport

The new Romanian passport that started being issued from January 2019 has a unique design that features important touristic attractions including three Orthodox monasteries: Curtea de Arges, Barsana and Tismana. Romania’s simple electronic and temporary passports are among the most difficult to falsify travel documents, stated the police chief Mirel Toanca, the head of the…

Aug 26, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Suceava Street to be named after 90-year-old Archbishop Pimen Suceveanul

Suceava Mayor Ion Lungu announced last week the naming of a city street to honour the eldest Romanian Orthodox hierarch, Archbishop Pimen. Called ‘a devoted and diligent hierarch’ by Patriarch Daniel, His Eminence Archbishop Pimen of Suceava and Radauti celebrated on Sunday his 90th birthday. ?HE Abp Pimen of Suceava & Rădăuți celebrates today his…

Aug 26, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Fanouropita: Greek cake for lost items

Fanouropita is a Greek fasting-appropriate cake brought as an offering to Saint Phanourios for helping people find lost things and not only. Saint Phanourios is also interceded for finding one’s way in life, for finding a spouse, for receiving inner peace or other things. Numerous stories abound about how the saint became associated with finding…

Aug 26, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Iași Archdiocese’s Department for Minorities organizes summer camp for Roma youth at Zmeu

One hundred Roma children and young people participated in ‘The Camp of Joy’, organized on August 21-22 at Zmeu Parish by the Department for Minorities of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Iași. “This camp, as well as all the other camps and activities that will follow, are part of a missionary program that we want to…

Aug 26, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Rwanda & Burundi Metropolitan Innocentios enthralled by humility, patience and love of large crowd of pilgrims at Nicula Monastery

His Eminence Metropolitan Innocentios Byakatonda of Rwanda and Burundi has left Romania after a seven-day visit to the Metropolis of Cluj where he celebrated a festive Divine Liturgy at Nicula Monastery which gathered over 20,000 pilgrims for the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. Before returning home on Monday, Aug. 19, the Rwandan Orthodox…

Aug 23, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Ignatie warns against spiritual pirates and ideological boats

His Grace Bishop Ignatie of Husi warned against people who act as ‘spiritual pirates’ to Christ’s church ship generating fear through all kinds of ‘ideological boats’. Addressing the congregation at Delesti, Vaslui County, on Sunday, August 18, the Bishop of Husi stressed that Christians must show courage and trust in Christ, the Helmsman of the…

Aug 23, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Will our nation perish? Romania’s population keeps shrinking mainly due to declining birth rates

Romania’s population declined by 5,365 people in June this year due to demographic factors, especially because of declining birth rates, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INS). By comparison, the population dropped by 2,636 people in the same month of 2018. A total of 14,506 babies were born in Romania in June 2019,…

Aug 23, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Roman & Bacau Archdiocese to purchase house for young family of priest who tragically died in car accident

The Orthodox Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău has initiated the process of purchasing a home in Bacău for the wife and four young children of the newly-reposed priest Fr. Marius Gabriel Bărăscu, according to a diocesan press release.  Fr. Marius died in a tragic car accident on August 7, the day before his 35th birthday,…

Aug 22, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Bucharest Cathedral Protopsaltes Mihail Bucă: I was a football talent, but God had another plan with me

Archdeacon Mihail Bucă said in an interview with Evenimentul Zilei that he was very passionate about football, but he chose to follow God’s calling in the Church. ‘I was a kid who played football on dust and rubble. My parents were actually very upset because I played football. I was on a few teams –…

Aug 22, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Tech-savvy Romanians introduce ‘Sotiras’, an Orthodox alternative to Facebook

A group of tech-savvy Romanians are currently testing Sotiras, a new social platform that could be an Orthodox alternative to Facebook. Their initiative has the blessing of the Romanian monks from the Annunciation Kellia of the Romanian Lakkoskete on Mount Athos. The new social networking website ‘aims at promoting beauty, normality, and Christian values’, reads…

Aug 22, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Justin travels by horse-drawn carriage on ‘Way of Wooden Cathedrals of Maramureş’

His Grace Bishop Justin and his auxiliary bishop Timotei of Satmar joined young people in a pilgrimage entitled ‘The Was of the Wooden Cathedrals of Maramures’ organized by the diocese from August 16 to August 20, 2019. The event gathered 50 young people from Baia Mare with outstanding learning outcomes or who have made a…

Aug 22, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu