Ștefana Totorcea

Virtual tour of the monasteries on Mount Athos available online

Women and those unable to travel have the possibility to visit online the Holy Mount Athos. A website has made available the virtual panoramas of the Mount’s 20 monasteries. Panoramas of more sketes and cells and those of three caves will become available soon. The virtual tours can be found on the website Mountathos360.com, where…

May 3, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Romanian Patriarchate offers 470,000-Euros worth of aid between April 20 and 27, 2020

The Romanian Patriarchate has announced that the amount of aid offered by the Church to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic exceeded 470,000 Euros (2,278,396 Lei) in the week of April 20-27. That brings the total aid offered by dioceses since the beginning of the health crisis to 3,080,015 Euros (14,876,474 Lei). The full text…

Apr 29, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

The Week in Pictures: April 20 – 26, 2020

The period between the Lord’s Resurrection and St Thomas’ Sunday was marked in Romania by processions with holy relics and icons, praying for the cessation of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here is our selection of photographs from the Orthodox world between April 20 and 26, 2020. Follow us on Twitter: @BasilicaNews and on Instagram: @basilica.ro We…

Apr 28, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

April 28, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The European Commission’s “Back to the Workplace” guide

On the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the United Nations Organization (UNO) has focused its message on preventing infectious diseases at work, in particular, those with the new coronavirus SARS-Cov-2. The European Commission published last week a guide on how to get back to work after mandatory isolation so as to prevent…

Apr 28, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

J.C. Larchet: The value of the Holy Communion does not depend on how it is offered to the faithful

In a recent interview, French theologian Jean-Claude Larchet, well-known to Romanians through his numerous books on illness and suffering, places the Covid-19 pandemic in historical context and discusses the challenges to religious practice which stemmed from it and spurred controversy among the Orthodox faithful. The extensive interview approaches hotly debated topics such as the issue…

Apr 21, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Pandemic journal, April 1-10 | New measures of support from the Romanian Orthodox Church in the COVID-19 crisis

In the second half of March and the first ten days of April 2020, the Romanian Orthodox Church invested over 2 million Euros (10 million ROL) in measures of support to combat the social effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Support actions continue, organized both at diocesan level and at grassroots level, in parishes who all…

Apr 19, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Prince Charles sends Paschal greetings to Romanians for Easter: Hristos a-nviat! (VIDEO)

The Prince of Wales has sent a video message for the Romanians, who celebrate Orthodox Easter. In it, he evokes the current health crisis and expresses the wish to travel again to Romania and also to meet again with members of the Romanian community in the United Kingdom. The message was recorded on Friday at…

Apr 19, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Patriarch Daniel’s Easter Message 2020: The Lord’s Resurrection is a source of light and hope in our struggle with life’s difficulties

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel sent a video message for Easter in which he encourages the faithful to stay in communion of prayer. He asks for the Lord’s blessing over the doctors, carers and state leaders, whishing Romania and the world good health, hope and peace. The video and full text of his message: The feast…

Apr 17, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

CROCEU: Covid-19 is a critical occasion for Europe to prove solidarity

The Committee of the Representatives of the Orthodox Churches to the European Institutions (CROCEU) has published a press release on the Coronavirus pandemic and its consequences on social, political and spiritual level. They say it is a great trial and also a unique opportunity to prove solidarity and change our lives. The CROCEU members present…

Apr 13, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Statement by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America Concerning Holy Week and Easter

The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America (ACOB-USA) recommends further compliance with the sanitary norms for Covid-19 prevention during the following period, when Orthodox Christians celebrate Palm Sunday, the Holy Week and Easter. A recent declaration lists strong recommendations regarding religious services: they should be officiated only with a maximum…

Apr 7, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

The Week in Pictures: March 30 – April 5, 2020

Orthodox life has adapted to the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic, trying to turn social isolation into spiritual progress. Find below our selection of photos from the Orthodox world between March 30 and April 5, 2020. Follow us on Twitter: @BasilicaNewsFollow us on Instagram: @basilica.ro We would gladly include one of your photos depicting Orthodox…

Apr 7, 2020Ștefana Totorcea