Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel: Holy Spirit unites tears of repentance with the joy of renewed life

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said on Sunday at the historic St George Chapel of the Patriarchal Residence that “the Holy Spirit unites the tears of repentance with the joy of renewed life.” The Patriarch explained that the Feast of Pentecost marks the visible establishment of Christ’s Church in history. “Pentecost is also the Feast of…

Jun 1, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Petru seeks retirement; Metropolitan Teofan named interim head of Bessarabia

Regarding the situation in the Metropolis of Bessarabia, we wish to clarify that on 27 May 2026, His Eminence Metropolitan Petru, Archbishop of Chișinău and Metropolitan of Bessarabia, submitted his request to retire from the ministry of Archbishop and Metropolitan due to age, health considerations, and for the good of the Church. The request will…

Jun 1, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Damaschin of Dorna: Church music finds its true purpose in worship

Assistant Bishop Damaschin of Dorna officiated Vespers on Monday at the Church of the Presentation of the Lord (“Vovidenia”) in Botoșani, where he reflected on the role of church music. The liturgical service formed part of the programme of the Iași International Byzantine Music Festival. The bishop highlighted the authentic meaning of church music and…

May 29, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Greek delegation visits Romanian Patriarchate to strengthen bilateral ties

Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești received an official delegation from Greece on Tuesday at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest during a meeting focused on dialogue and strengthening relations between the two countries. The delegation was led by Deputy Minister of the Interior Konstantinos Gioulekas and included representatives of academia, local administration, professional associations and…

May 29, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel’s message to students: Unite study with prayer during exam season

Patriarch Daniel has issued a message of encouragement to Romanian pupils and students preparing for examinations, urging them to combine diligent study with prayer, perseverance and trust in the gifts received from God. In a message addressed to young people across Romania as the examination season begins, the Patriarch stresses that academic success is important…

May 29, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Western & Southern Europe Metropolis Pentecost Message: Modern man risks losing true communion

In their Pentecost pastoral letter addressed to Romanians in Western and Southern Europe, the hierarchs of the Metropolis warn that “amid the ceaseless noise of the modern world, man risks losing precisely what matters most: true communion.” Drawing on the words of Scripture, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4), the…

May 29, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Antiochian Metropolitan Saba visits Romanian Orthodox monastery in New York

Metropolitan Saba Isper visited the Romanian Orthodox Monastery in Middletown on Monday, where he met with Archimandrite Melchisedec Velnic, abbot of Putna Monastery, and Archimandrite Ieremia Berbec, abbot of Middletown Monastery. The head of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in North America spent the day in prayer and dialogue with the two abbots. “In an atmosphere…

May 29, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Benedictine theologians visit Romanian Patriarchate: St Dumitru Stăniloae among pilgrimage readings

A group of students and professors from Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo was received on Thursday by Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest. The Benedictine theologians said that, during their pilgrimage in Romania, they plan to study the works of Saint Dumitru Stăniloae, one of the most influential Orthodox theologians…

May 29, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel says Romanians abroad carried ancestral faith across the world

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel has called on Romanians living abroad to preserve their Christian faith, family unity and national identity in a message issued for the Day of Romanians Everywhere, marked this Sunday. In his message, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church described the celebration as an occasion to reaffirm the values that unite…

May 29, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel’s Message on Int’l Children’s Day: The Christian family is an Icon of the Holy Trinity’s love

Patriarch Daniel has called on Christian families to rediscover the spiritual vocation of the home as “a space of faith and generous love” in his message for International Children’s Day 2026, celebrated this year together with the Feast of the Holy Trinity. In the message, entitled “The Christian Family – Icon of the Love of…

May 28, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian YouTuber recreates Timișoara Metropolitan Cathedral in Minecraft

A Romanian YouTuber with more than 145,000 subscribers has recreated the Metropolitan Cathedral of Timișoara in the video game Minecraft. The creator told Basilica.ro that the project aims to promote Romania’s architectural heritage and encourage young people to discover religious and cultural monuments. The project, which began in February, was built at a 3:1 scale,…

May 28, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu