Anniversaries and commemorations

Basilica News Agency marks 18 years since publishing its first news report

Basilica.ro, the official news agency of the Romanian Patriarchate, marks its 18th anniversary on Tuesday since publishing its first news report online, an event that marked the beginning of its editorial activity. The Basilica News Agency is part of the Basilica Media Centre of the Romanian Patriarchate, established on October 27, 2007, at the initiative…

Jun 16, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox Churches mark 10th anniversary of historic Holy and Great Council of Crete

Tuesday, June 16, marks the tenth anniversary of the Holy and Great Council of Crete, the only gathering of its kind held by the Orthodox Church in the 21st century. The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church brought together hierarchs from ten of the fourteen autocephalous Orthodox Churches on the island of Crete.…

Jun 16, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania Marks First National Day of Remembrance for Victims of 1990 Mineriad

Romania on Monday marked for the first time the National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the June 13–15, 1990 Mineriad and Anti-Democratic Repression, according to the national news agency Agerpres. The observance was established under Law No. 93/2026, promulgated on June 10 by Romania’s president, the Presidential Administration said in a press release.…

Jun 15, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Schema-nun Siluana Vlad remembered five years after her repose

A few days after her 77th birthday, Schema-nun Siluana Vlad reposed in the Lord on 8 June 2021. Shortly before her death, she left a message to her spiritual children: “My dear children, I ask you to call upon the name of the Lord, and know that if I pass into eternal life, I will…

Jun 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Archbishop Timotei of Arad, oldest member of Romanian Orthodox Synod, turns 90

His Eminence Archbishop Timotei of Arad, the oldest member of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, celebrated his 90th birthday on Thursday. He was born Traian Seviciu on 4 June 1936 in Timișoara and studied at the Theological Institute of Bucharest between 1953 and 1957. In 1972, he earned a doctorate in theology,…

Jun 4, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarchate’s Basilica Media Centre marks Holy Trinity feast by reaffirming Church mission

On the Feast of the Holy Trinity (Monday of the Holy Spirit), the Basilica Media Centre of the Romanian Patriarchate reaffirmed its mission to communicate the life of the Church and promote the values of the Christian faith in the public sphere. All components of the Basilica Media Centre are under the protection of the…

Jun 1, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox Church highlights support for families on Christian Family Sunday

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church instituted in 2009 a Sunday dedicated to the Christian family. It is observed on the Sunday closest to 15 May, which the United Nations designated as the International Day of Families. This year, Christian Family Sunday fell on 17 May, the feast day of the Holy Apostles…

May 18, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania marks first National Day of Religious Freedom and contribution of religious denominations

Romania on Saturday marked for the first time the National Day of Religious Freedom and the Contribution of Religious Denominations to Romanian Society. The observance was established in 2025 following a proposal by Romania’s religious denominations during a meeting held on 10 April 2024 with representatives of the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs and other…

May 18, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania marks National Peony Day as flower gains status as symbol of Romanian soldiers’ heroism

Romania’s national flower is celebrated annually on 15 May, with the peony recognised as a symbol of Romanian soldiers’ heroism. Efforts to secure official recognition for the peony were supported by the community “Bujorul Românesc – The Romanian Peony”, founded in 2015 by Cristina Turnagiu Dragna and Andreea Tănăsescu, creator of the “La Blouse Roumaine”…

May 15, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

International Day of Families highlights social inequality and child wellbeing in 2026

The International Day of Families is observed annually on 15 May. The theme for 2026 highlights the impact of social and economic inequalities on family life and child development. The International Day of Families is marked under a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993. The UN warns that many families face…

May 15, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania marks National Day honouring victims of communist prisons

Romania’s National Day, honouring the martyrs of the communist prisons, is observed annually on 14 May in memory of the thousands of people arrested by the totalitarian regime, according to Agerpres. The date was chosen to commemorate the night of 14–15 May 1948, when the communist authorities launched one of the largest waves of political…

May 14, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu