Anniversaries and commemorations

Five year anniversary of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church

Five years ago, on June 16, began the writing of ‘a new chapter in the history of the Church’ as Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew called the meeting of the Local Orthodox Churches that took place on the island of Crete. The Council took place from June 16 to June 26, 2016, at the Orthodox Academy of…

Jun 16, 2021basilica.ro

For 13 years, the Basilica News Agency: Profile

In a world assailed by information, Patriarch Daniel saw the presence of the Orthodox Church in the Romanian media landscape as a primary necessity. Less than a month after his enthronement, on October 27, 2007, His Beatitude established the Basilica Media Centre, consisting of five components: Radio Trinitas, Trinitas TV, Lumina publications, Basilica News Agency,…

Jun 16, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

June 14, World Blood Donor Day. Around 19,000 liters of blood being harvested in Romanian Patriarchate campaign

Every year, on June 14, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day. The event serves to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood and to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations to ensure the quality, safety, and availability of blood and blood products for patients in…

Jun 14, 2021Iulian Dumitraşcu

World Oceans Day: June 8, 2021

World Oceans Day takes place every June 8. The concept was originally proposed in 1992 by Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly passed…

Jun 8, 2021Iulian Dumitraşcu

International Children’s Day: How it became an official holiday in Romania

The International Children’s Day was adopted by dozen of states as a celebration of children and childhood in 1925 and it was later established by the United Nations as the Global Day of Parents. In 2016, the Parliament of Children managed to obtain from the Parliament of Romania the approval for making Children’s Day a…

Jun 1, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

Queen Mother Helen of Romania commemorated at Cernica Monastery on her 125th birth anniversary

Bright Monday marked the 125th birth anniversary of Queen Mother Helen, the grandmother of Her Majesty Crown Princess Margareta. On this occasion, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown and His Royal Highness Prince Radu attended a memorial service officiated at Cernica Monastery. The memorial service was officiated by the monastery’s abbot, Protosyncellys Vasile Pîrjol. Chanting…

May 5, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

80th anniversary of the Fântâna Albă Massacre

April 1 became by law, adopted in 2011, a National Day honouring the memory of Romanians who were the victims of the massacres at Fântâna Albă and other areas, deportations, famine and other forms of repression organized by the totalitarian Soviet regime in Hertza region, northern Bukovina and the whole of Bessarabia. After signing the…

Apr 1, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel has 31 years of episcopal ministry and 1 main priority: spiritual life

“The priorities are multiple, but, first of all, we must think about the spiritual life,” is the thought with which Patriarch Daniel came to the leadership of the Romanian Orthodox Church, a moment he already fulfilled 17 years of episcopal ministry. We mark today 31 years since Fr Daniel Ciobotea was ordained to the episcopate…

Mar 4, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Justinian’s 120th birthday anniversary: “A sailor’s mastery is seen in times of storm”

“Saint John Chrysostom says that a sailor’s mastery is seen in times of storm,” said on Monday Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova referring to Romania’s former Patriarch Justinian Marina. “His pastoral ministry took place in a time of storm when adverse waves threatened the Church’s ship,” the bishop added. The Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese…

Feb 25, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania marks International Greek Language Day with Vasilopita cutting, online event

The celebration of the International Greek Language Day began in Romania three years ago. The legislative initiative belonged to Dragos Gabriel Zisopol, chairman of the Hellenic Union in Romania. February 9 has been selected as the day to celebrate the Greek language because it coincides with the Commemoration Day of Greece’s “national poet” Dionysios Solomos.…

Feb 16, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

13 February: World Radio Day, the most widely consumed medium

World Radio Day 2021 (WRD 2021) celebrates radio as part of humanity’s history by following the various developments in our society and adapting its services. As the world changes, so does radio. Thus, during the Covid-19 pandemic, radio made it possible, for example, to ensure continuity of learning, to fight against misinformation, and to promote…

Feb 13, 2021Iulian Dumitraşcu