Aurelian Iftimiu

Ecumenical Patriarch’s Homily on the Opening of Great Lent. ‘Whoever truly loves God also loves one’s neighbour everywhere’

CATECHETICAL HOMILY ON THE OPENING OF HOLY AND GREAT LENT 2018 + B A R T H O L O M E W 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,…

Feb 24, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Syriac Wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God added to the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church

Together with the inclusion of Saint Matrona of Moscow, the Holy Synod decided to add to the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church the Syriac Icon of the Mother of God from Ghighiu Monastery to be celebrated on the feast of the Life-Giving Spring, on Bright Friday, beginning with 2019. During its February working session,…

Feb 23, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel officiates Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete. ‘Great Lent is a school of repentance’

Repentance was the main theme of Patriarch Daniel’s homily delivered Monday evening at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest. ‘The Great Lent is a school of repentance,’ because it is ‘a mystical partaking of the Saviour’s forty-day fast,’ and a struggle against the tendencies inherited from our first parents Adam and Eve, especially ‘the tendency to…

Feb 22, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Oldest Romanian monk on Mt Athos reposes in the Lord aged 95

The oldest Romanian monk of Mount Athos, Elder Gerasimos from Vatopedi’s Colciu Skete, reposed in the Lord Tuesday, February 20, at the age of 95. According to the Athonite tradition, Fr Gerasimos was buried the next day, February 21, 2018. Father Gerasimos, a Romanian by nationality, joined the monastic community of Mount Athos almost 30…

Feb 22, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel at the beginning of Great Lent: In order to forgive our neighbour we need to crucify our egoism and open our soul unto resurrection

During his Sunday homily, Patriarch Daniel stressed the importance of forgiveness of those who have wronged us, noting that this is ‘the good beginning of the Lenten season,’ through which we resemble the Compassionate and Forgiving God. His Beatitude said that ‘forgiveness of sins often implies the crucifixion of our own egoism, opening our soul…

Feb 21, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Holy Synod meets for first working session in 2018, makes important decisions

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church held this year’s first working session Thursday, February 15, at the Synodal Hall of the Patriarchal Residence, under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel. During the meeting, the members of the Holy Synod proceeded to the election of an assistant bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Diocese…

Feb 16, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Holy Synod elects two bishops for Romanian Diaspora

During its Thursday meeting, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church elected assistant bishops for two Romanian Dioceses in the Diaspora. The V. Rev. Archimandrite Atanasie Rusnac was elected assistant bishop to the Romanian Orthodox diocese of Italy. He will bear the title of His Grace Bishop Atanasie of Bogdania. The V. Rev. Archimandrite…

Feb 16, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Metr. Serafim at the beginning of Great Lent: Only by fasting does our hunger for God grow in us, and prayer enters the heart more easily

In his pastoral message addressed on the Sunday of Adam’s Expulsion from Paradise and the beginning of Great Lent, His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim of Germany urges faithful to observe the fast because only ‘thus does our hunger for God grow in us, and prayer enters the heart more easily.’ Reflecting on the Sunday gospel reading,…

Feb 15, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

‘The Romanian Orthodox Church is the greatest philanthropist in terms of its contribution to social work’ – Patriarch Daniel during NCA meeting

In 2017, the Romanian Orthodox Church invested approximatively 24 million Euros in charity work. ‘Currently the Romanian Orthodox Church is the greatest philanthropist in terms of its contribution to social work,’ said Wednesday Patriarch Daniel during the meeting of the National Church Assembly (NCA) stressing that this means ‘sacrifice, effort, and caring for the people.’…

Feb 14, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

National Church Council meets at the Patriarchal Residence, evaluates 2017 Church activity

The members of the National Church Council met Tuesday for their annual session under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel. During the meeting held at the patriarchal residence in Bucharest, the Council evaluated the activity of the Romanian Church in 2017 and set proposals for 2018. The Patriarch read out the synthesis report on…

Feb 14, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Ecumenical Patriarch to attend consecration of Romania’s National Cathedral

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will attend the consecration of the Romanian Orthodox Church’s National Cathedral in Bucharest, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania announced at a meeting of the National Church Council at the patriarchal residence on Tuesday. Patriarch Bartholomew was invited personally by Patriarch Daniel during the Holy and Great Council that took…

Feb 14, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu