Cultural

Georgian Church music declared object of intangible cultural heritage

The Georgian Orthodox Church has its own beautiful style of ecclesiastical chant, unique in the Orthodox world. Now, that unique sound has been officially recognized as an indelible part of Georgian and world culture, Orthochristian informs. The Georgian State Folkore Center announced on Tuesday that “Georgian traditional ecclesiastic music/chanting was added to the list of Intangible Cultural…

Jun 4, 2021Gheorghe Anghel

Photographers can submit their work to the OrthPhoto Awards contest until July 2

The Orthodox photography website OrthPhoto.net has launched a new photo contest aimed to promote Orthodoxy through photography: OrthPhoto Awards. Participants, either amateur or professional, can submit their work until July 2. The contest has the following four categories: Places, Reportage, People, Details. There are also three special categories: From the Archives, Stories, Covid-19. Participants are…

Jun 3, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

Metropolitan Nifon offers three reasons for a possible canonization of Romanian Prince Michael the Brave

Prince Michael the Brave’s piety, the support he offered to Romanian Orthodoxy and the heroic deeds through which he protected European Christianity are reasons for his possible canonization, said Metropolitan Nifon after the commemoration service he officiated for the prince last Thursday, at 420 years from his martyrdom. The service was held at Dealu Monastery,…

Jun 1, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

Tiny 18th-century wooden Romanian church wins European prize for heritage

The European Commission and Europa Nostra have announced the 2021 winners of the European cultural heritage awards. A Romanian 18th-century wooden church in the Carpathian foothills that was destroyed by fire and carefully restored in recent years was announced as one of the winners on Tuesday. The church which is to be found in the…

May 27, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

The 3rd ‘Evyenios Voulgaris’ Scholarship Programme for Advanced Studies in Orthodox Spiritual Life and Theology

The Saint Maximos the Greek Institute, with the support of the Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopaidi, is introducing the ‘Evyenios Voulgaris’ Scholarship Programme. Evyenios Voulgaris (1716-1806) served as principal of the Athoniada School, which had been established by the Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi. In his day, he was the greatest and most important Greek…

May 27, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian monasteries proposed for UNESCO World Heritage List

An event was held on Tuesday dedicated to the cultural-monastic landscape of Vânători-Neamț and the proposal to include the monasteries in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Vânători-Neamț is a commune in Neamț County, Western Moldavia, Romania. The area includes 6 large monasteries, including the famous Neamț Monastery, and 10 dependent hermitages, with about 1,000 monastics.…

May 13, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

Queen Mother Helen of Romania was born 125 years ago. King Michael: “She was strong through prayer“

May 3 marked this year the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the birth of Queen Mother Helen of Romania. Her soul and character profoundly marked the lives of her son, King Michael of Romania, and his daughters. She was the only Queen in Europe who was awarded the title of “Righteous among the Nations”…

May 4, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

15 churches in Bacau included in new Ecumenical Cultural Route

The Ecumenical Tourist Cultural Route in Bacău County includes the most beautiful places of worship, mostly Orthodox, but also Catholic. The Route was set up at the initiative of the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, a member of a European agreement on cultural routes certified by the Council of Europe. The route is 387…

Apr 13, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

Royal Choir Conductor: I discovered my love for music in the Church

Antonel Temistocli, the Royal Choir’s conductor – a youth ensemble under the high patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Radu of Romania, says that his love for music began in the Church in childhood. “Compared to other children who had the opportunity to study at specialized schools, I exercised this passion in the Church, where…

Mar 23, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

Scroll fragments with the texts of prophets Zachariah and Nahum found in the Judean Desert

The Israel Antiquities Authority  (IAA) has discovered in some desert caves 80 new fragments of a 1,900-year-old Biblical scroll with texts from prophets Zachariah and Nahum. Marcello Fidanzio, the Director of the Archaeological and Cultural Institute of Biblical Lands in Lugano, declared for Vatican News it is the first discovery of note since the great…

Mar 19, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

Photo competition inspired by the Hagia Sophia basilica highlights the concept of “Wisdom of God”

The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO) and Orthphoto.net launched last week a photography competition inspired by Constantinople’s Hagia Sophia Basilica (“The Church of the Holy Wisdom of God”). Participants are invited to send images of temples dedicated to the Wisdom of God from all over the world, be they Orthodox or from other Christian denominations.…

Mar 17, 2021Ștefana Totorcea