Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox church in Maramureș style takes shape in Japan

The first Romanian Orthodox church built in the traditional Maramureș style in Japan is taking on an increasingly visible shape after the church’s tower was installed on Tuesday. The announcement of the tower installation was made by the parish priest of the Romanian Orthodox Parish of Tokyo, who expressed gratitude to all those who have…

May 14, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian pilgrims join feast of St Basil of Ostrog in Montenegro

Romanian pilgrims prayed on Tuesday at the patronal feast of Ostrog Monastery together with His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina. His Eminence celebrated the Divine Liturgy alongside Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral. The event marked the feast of Saint Basil the Wonderworker of Ostrog, the protector of the monastic settlement. Thousands…

May 14, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania marks National Day honouring victims of communist prisons

Romania’s National Day, honouring the martyrs of the communist prisons, is observed annually on 14 May in memory of the thousands of people arrested by the totalitarian regime, according to Agerpres. The date was chosen to commemorate the night of 14–15 May 1948, when the communist authorities launched one of the largest waves of political…

May 14, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

New Georgian Patriarch Shio III calls for Church to embrace those ‘outside its walls’

“We must open wide the doors of the Church to everyone. We must also embrace our spiritual children who are outside the walls of the Church and who, like the prodigal son, perhaps do not dare to come to us,” said Patriarch Shio III of Georgia on Tuesday during his enthronement ceremony. The service took…

May 13, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Assistant Bishop Teofil of Iberia marks 55th birthday

His Grace Teofil of Iberia, Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal, celebrates his 55th birthday on Wednesday. The hierarch was born on 13 May 1971 in Desești, Maramureș county, Romania, to Gheorghe and Maria. Between 1977 and 1985, he attended primary school in his native village, while from 1985 to…

May 13, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Iași hosts first gathering of Orthodox youth from ethnic minority communities

The Agora Events Centre of the Archdiocese of Iași hosted on Saturday, May 9, the first edition of the Assembly of Orthodox Youth from Ethnic Minorities, an event organised by the CRESC Association in collaboration with the Archdiocese’s Minorities Department. “Our faith unites us and helps us look upon one another with honour and love,”…

May 13, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Historic Mihai Vodă Monastery in Bucharest reactivated with new monastic community

The Romanian capital has gained a new monastic settlement through the reactivation of Mihai Vodă Monastery. Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova and Archimandrite Nectarie Șofelea installed the abbess of the monastery on Saturday, May 9. Nun Cipriana Tănase comes from the community of Râmeț Monastery, where she was a disciple of Stavrophore Ierusalima Ghibu, who…

May 13, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Iosif meets young finalists of Christian oratory festival in Paris

Metropolitan Iosif of Western and Southern Europe met at the end of last week with the young participants in the final stage of the Christian Oratory Festival-Competition “Saint John Chrysostom”. The event brought together more than 100 young people from the four countries of the Archdiocese — Belgium, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands — at…

May 13, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian mobile consular services to reach three UK cities in May

Between 21 and 24 May, Romanians living in three British cities will have access to consular services without having to travel to London. The initiative is being organised by the Consulate General of Romania in London to support the Romanian community within its jurisdiction. A consular team will travel to Peterborough, Norwich and Ipswich to…

May 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Nectarie named best goalkeeper at church minifootball tournament in Ireland

His Grace Bishop Nectarie received the special award for “Best Goalkeeper” at the end of the first edition of the minifootball tournament organised by the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Ireland and Iceland. His Grace received the special distinction for “Goalkeeper of the Tournament”. The competition, held on May 2 in Dublin, brought together 12 teams…

May 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania’s largest Byzantine music festival launches first international symposium on Church and family

The Iași Byzantine Music Festival will organise, for the first time, the International Symposium “The Church as a Singing Family in the Christian Tradition”, dedicated to the communal role of church music and the relationship between liturgical tradition and the Christian family. The event will take place from 23 to 28 May. Considered the largest…

May 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu