Aurelian Iftimiu

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew calls euthanasia a complex moral challenge

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I said euthanasia is “one of the most delicate and complex contemporary issues our societies are called to confront,” speaking last week at an international conference held at the Phanar. The conference, titled “Good Living – Decisions at the End of Life,” took place on December 19–20 under the auspices of the…

Dec 24, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox Bishop in Ireland and Iceland urges inner renewal in first Christmas pastoral letter

Bishop Nectarie of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Ireland and Iceland underscored the need for inner change and the rediscovery of spiritual purity in the face of contemporary challenges in his first Christmas pastoral letter since his enthronement. “Our renewal begins today — a perpetual today — for before the Lord there is no yesterday,…

Dec 24, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Serafim urges humility over comfort in Christmas message, highlights women’s role in Church and family

In this year’s Christmas pastoral letter, Metropolitan Serafim of Germany invites the faithful to move beyond the material comfort associated with the Nativity feast and to rediscover what he calls “the only new thing under the sun”: the humility of God who becomes Man. In the pastoral message titled “The Christian Woman in the Family,…

Dec 23, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Saint Andrew relic brought to Bessarabia as Metropolis dedicates 2026 to Metropolitan Antonie Plămădeală

The Metropolis of Bessarabia has dedicated the year 2026 to Metropolitan Antonie Plămădeală (1926-2005). The announcement was made on Saturday, December 13, at Durlești Monastery, which marked the patronal feast of the Apostle Andrew, according to the unrevised calendar. Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with Archbishop Casian of Lower Danube and…

Dec 23, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

A year in review: Key decisions of the Romanian Orthodox Holy Synod in 2025

In a landmark year marking the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church adopted decisions that reshaped the Church’s liturgical calendar, pastoral priorities and institutional life. From the canonisation of new saints to the consecration of the National Cathedral’s iconography and key administrative reforms, 2025 stood out as one…

Dec 23, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel urges faith, peace and communion in Christmas and New Year 2026 message

In his Christmas video message, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church reflects on the mystery of the Incarnation as God’s saving descent into human history, emphasising that Christmas is fundamentally a celebration of forgiveness, peace, and communion among people. Recalling the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah, the Patriarch of Romania underscores that the birth…

Dec 23, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Christ the Pilgrim comes to us in every person in need, Patriarch Daniel says in his Christmas pastoral letter

In his Christmas Pastoral Letter, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church reflects on the mystery of the Nativity as a living encounter between God and humanity, presenting Christ as the divine “Pilgrim” who continues to come to people through love, humility, and mercy. Drawing on Scripture, patristic teaching, and the spiritual heritage of Romanian…

Dec 22, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Teofan urges unity and responsibility in Christmas encyclical

His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina calls on the faithful in his Christmas Pastoral Letter to cultivate unity, patience and responsibility towards one another. His Eminence reflected on the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God as the foundation of Christian life and as the source of a way of living…

Dec 22, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Memorial service held in Bucharest to honour heroes of Romania’s 1989 revolution

A memorial service was held on Sunday in University Square in Bucharest in remembrance of the heroes who died in December 1989 for the dignity, freedom and faith of the Romanian people. The service was officiated by Rev. Dean Nectarie Busuioc, who spoke about the sacrifice of those who lost their lives on those very…

Dec 22, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Benedict reflects on ‘theology of the cave’, linking Bethlehem to communist prisons

Bishop Benedict of Sălaj has proposed in his first Christmas Pastoral Letter a reflection on what he calls the “theology of the cave,” drawing a parallel between the humility of the manger in Bethlehem and the “cave” of suffering experienced in communist prisons. He stresses that no human suffering is too dark to be illumined…

Dec 22, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Ignatie warns ‘Herod is among us’ as society drifts from Christ

Bishop Ignatie of Huși reflects in his Christmas Pastoral Letter on the atmosphere surrounding the Nativity of the Lord in the modern world, warning that contemporary society appears to be “suffering from many defects and countless spiritual fractures.” According to the bishop, the root cause of this condition lies within each individual. Without Christ, he…

Dec 22, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu