Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Teofan warns “no greater illness” than drifting from true faith at Iasi monastery feast

“There is no greater illness in the Church than drifting away from the true faith,” Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bucovina said on Sunday, during the patronal feast of the Copou Monastery in Iași. The monastic community honoured its patron Saints Athanasius and Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria. “The Church has set before us faces of…

Jan 22, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

London gallery stages first Brâncuși photography show in 20 years, Romanian institute says

The Thaddaeus Ropac gallery in London is hosting a photography exhibition dedicated to Constantin Brâncuși, the first of its kind in the past two decades, the Romanian Cultural Institute in London announced. The exhibition brings together photographs taken over three decades by the sculptor from Gorj County, most of them being shown in the United…

Jan 22, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian MP meets Bessarabia Metropolitan, pledges support

His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia, on Wednesday, received an official visit at his residence in Chişinău from a delegation from Bucharest led by Adrian Felician Cozma, Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies in Romania’s Parliament. The official was accompanied by Lavinia Felicia Năstase and Claudiu-Ion Chelcea, First Secretary at the Romanian Embassy in the…

Jan 22, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox Christians to begin Great Lent on Feb. 23 as Pascha falls on April 12

In about a month, on February 23, Orthodox Christians will enter Great Lent, also known as the Great Fast. The Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord (Holy Pascha) will be celebrated on April 12 this year. On February 1, the liturgical season of the Triodion begins, including three preparatory weeks for Great Lent, followed…

Jan 22, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Relics of St Elizabeth exhumed at Pasărea Monastery, bishop praises her example

“The face of Schema-nun Elisabeta (Lazăr) shines like the example and life of the hermits of old. She urges each of us to value time and dedicate as much of it as possible to the Lord,” said Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova from the Archdiocese of Bucharest, on Friday, January 16, at Pasărea Monastery in…

Jan 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Open Doors says persecution hits 388 mln Christians worldwide, families face growing pressure

According to the World Watch List 2026 report published by Open Doors, religious persecution targeting Christians has a direct impact on family life, with converts facing pressure, abuse and marginalisation even from their own relatives. The report points to a worsening of anti-Christian persecution worldwide, both in scale and intensity, with direct consequences for family…

Jan 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Digital Matericon: Women Saints of January (II)

This second January instalment of Digital Matericon continues our monthly series dedicated to the women saints commemorated in the Orthodox calendar. Because January contains an especially rich number of holy women—martyrs, monastics, ascetics, mothers, confessors, and “fools for Christ”—the month is presented in two parts, allowing each figure to be remembered with due attention. In…

Jan 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Egypt discovers Byzantine-era monastery remains in Sohag, shedding light on Upper Egypt monastic life

Recent archaeological excavations in Egypt’s southern Sohag governorate have uncovered traces of a Byzantine-period monastery, offering new insights into the organisation and daily life of monastic communities in Upper Egypt. Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathi, said the discovery reflects the richness of the country’s historical heritage and the diversity of its religious…

Jan 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bessarabia’s Metropolitan Petru says Baptism is the seal of the Holy Spirit at Theophany service in Chisinau

Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia celebrated on Monday the Divine Liturgy and the Great Blessing of Waters at the Metropolitan Chapel of St John the Theologian in Chisinau, as believers in the Republic of Moldova mostly follow the unrevised Julian calendar. The service was held together with an assembly of clergy from the diocesan centre, on…

Jan 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Timotei says Christ’s peace runs deeper than worldly calm at ecumenical prayer service

“The peace the Lord offers is different from the peace we observe, or that is presented to us in various forms. It is not the apparent quiet of cemeteries, nor the fragile balance of powers that neutralise one another,” Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova said on Tuesday. The assistant bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest…

Jan 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian churches open Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Bucharest

The Week (Octave) of Prayer for Christian Unity opened on Monday at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Bucharest. Representing the Patriarch of Romania, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești attended the event, accompanied by Archimandrite Augustin Coman, Patriarchal Adviser in the Department for Christian Relations, Interreligious Affairs and Romanian Communities Abroad of…

Jan 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu