Anniversaries and commemorations

International Day for Preventing Exploitation of Environment in War: Every war is a humanitarian and ecological catastrophe

Monday marks the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, observed yearly on November 6. The environment has often been a victim of war. Water sources have been polluted, crops burned, forests cut down, soils poisoned and animals killed. Last year, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I mentioned the devastating…

Nov 6, 2023Ștefana Totorcea

International Day against Bullying at School: For healthy mind and better school results

In 2019, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established the International Day against Violence and Bullying at School, including Cyberbullying to be observed on the first Thursday ov November. The goal was to increase social awareness on the fact that bullying in schools and cyberbullying is an infringement of children’s and adolescents’…

Nov 2, 2023Ștefana Totorcea

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: A chance to stand in solidarity with people living in poverty

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, celebrated annually on October 17th, aims to promote understanding and dialogue between people living in poverty and the wider society. This year’s theme, “Decent Work and Social Protection: Putting dignity in practice for all”, draws on first-hand testimonials showing that those trapped in extreme poverty often work long,…

Oct 17, 2023Iulian Dumitraşcu

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs…

Oct 10, 2023Iulian Dumitraşcu

30th anniversary of Father Dumitru Staniloae’s blessed repose

Thirty years ago, on the night of October 4 to 5, Father Dumitru Stăniloae reposed in the Lord. The famous Romanian theologian is on the path to sainthood because he lived a virtuous life and endured torment for professing his faith during the atheistic communist regime. Priest Dumitru Stăniloae and several confessors will most likely…

Oct 5, 2023Aurelian Iftimiu

Celebrating the Holy Brâncoveanu Martyrs, Romania raises awareness of Christian persecution

On August 16, Romania marks the National Day of Remembrance of the Brâncoveanu Martyrs and of Awareness of Violence against Christians. The President of Romania ratified the law declaring August 16 as “National Day of Remembrance of the Brâncoveanu Martyrs and of Awareness of Violence against Christians” on July 16, 2020. The 16th of August was…

Aug 16, 2023Aurelian Iftimiu

International Youth Day: Green Skills for Youth is this year’s theme

This year’s International Youth Day, marked on Saturday, August 12, has the theme “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World”. It outlines the role of young people in the green transition to an environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly world. Green skills are defined as “knowledge, abilities, values and attitudes needed to live in, develop and…

Aug 12, 2023Ștefana Totorcea

Basilica.ro: The life of the Church featured daily on your devices for 15 years

The Basilica News Agency came into being along with the Basilica Media Centre on October 27, 2007. The official launch of the website and the publication of the first news items took place on June 16, 2008. The news website of the Romanian Patriarchate was conceived with the mission of “reflecting reality as seen by…

Jun 16, 2023Sorin Ioniţe

World Oceans Day, an opportunity to appreciate the gifts received from the Creator

World Oceans Day, observed on June 8, is a suited time to raise awareness and appreciate these great gifts received from God.  Oceans are the lungs of our Planet and a major source of food and medicine and a critical part of the biosphere. The concept of World Oceans Day was originally proposed in 1992…

Jun 8, 2023Sorin Ioniţe

International Children’s Day

International Children’s Day is celebrated by more than 50 countries on June 1 and another 100 countries have similar celebrations on the same day. International Children’s Day was declared a holiday by the Romanian Parliament in 2016. International Children’s Day, which is not the same as Universal Children’s Day, is celebrated annually on June 1. Although…

Jun 1, 2023Alexandru Boboc

World Bee Day: Our food and survival depend on these little workers

The UN General Assembly established World Bee Day in 2017 to highlight the importance of these small workers on which the survival of humanity and ecosystems depend: they are responsible for pollinating three-quarters of the world’s agricultural crops and 90% of wild flowering plant species. On 20 May, World Bee Day, farmers are invited to…

May 20, 2023Ștefana Totorcea