Romanian Patriarchate

Holy Synod elects Assistant Bishop Benedict of Bistrița as new head of Sălaj Diocese

On Thursday, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church elected His Grace Bishop Benedict of Bistrița as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Sălaj. The position became vacant in December 2024, after the local Synod of the Metropolis of Cluj, Maramureș, and Sălaj decided to suspend Bishop Petroniu. Also running for the office…

Mar 27, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarchate’s Media Centre signs photo archive agreement with Agerpres

On Thursday, the Basilica Media Centre of the Romanian Patriarchate signed a cooperation protocol with Agerpres, granting access to the National News Agency’s photo archive and photo stream for use throughout 2025 by Trinitas TV, Radio Trinitas, Basilica News Agency, Lumina Publications, and the Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate. The protocol was signed during…

Mar 21, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

How the Romanian Orthodox Church became a Patriarchate: historians explain

A documentary produced by Radio Trinitas to mark the start of the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate presents the evolution of the Orthodox Church on the territory of Romania until it achieved the status of a patriarchate, through the voices and expertise of two renowned professors of church history. Priests Ion Vicovan and Mihail Săsăujan,…

Mar 19, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

The Week in Pictures: March 3 – 9, 2025

Please find below some enthralling images from the first week of Lent, when the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete was officiated, and from the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the feast celebrating the restoration of icons in the Orthodox Church. They illustrate both the beauty of liturgical tradition and the profound significance of icons as…

Mar 12, 2025Ștefana Totorcea

Pastoral Letter of the Holy Synod for the Sunday of Orthodoxy 2025

In its traditional pastoral letter for the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church emphasizes the pedagogical role of holy icons, which serve as guides leading to Christ, the Source of all holiness. Within the context of the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate, the Synod states: “For us, Romanians, the Sunday…

Mar 7, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

The third part of the Great Canon at the Patriarchal Cathedral | In pictures

On Wednesday , March 5, 2025, the assistant bishop to the Bucharest Archdiocese Timotei of Prahova read the third part of the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete during the Great Compline officiated at the Patriarchal Cathedral.   Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu  

Mar 5, 2025Mircea Florescu

Diplomatic and religious dialogue: Bishop Varlaam meets Georgian Ambassador in Bucharest

On Wednesday, His Grace Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, Secretary of the Holy Synod, welcomed Her Excellency Tamar Beruchashvili, Ambassador of Georgia to Romania, at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest. Bishop Varlaam extended a warm welcome to the ambassador, emphasizing the strong and long-standing friendship between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Georgian Orthodox…

Mar 5, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

The Great Canon is humanity’s collective cry for repentance, Bishop Paisie of Sinaia says

On the second evening of Great Lent, His Grace Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie of Sinaia officiated the Great Compline with the Great Canon at the Patriarchal Cathedral, describing it as “the dialogue of the sinful man with his own conscience before God.” Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie continued this penitential canon “is not the repentance of…

Mar 5, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Assistant Bishop Nectarie of Bogdania meets Moldovan Parliament Speaker to discuss Church-State cooperation

On Tuesday morning, His Grace Assistant Bishop Nectarie of Bogdania met with Igor Grosu, the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, for discussions centered on the role of the Church in society and its collaboration with state institutions. A Meeting of Cooperation “The meeting took place in an atmosphere of openness and…

Mar 4, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești praises Great Canon and calls for deeper repentance

On Monday evening, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești praised the Great Canon and its author, Saint Andrew of Crete, emphasizing the importance of both its message and regular recitation. After reading the first part of the Great Canon at the Patriarchal Cathedral, His Grace cited Archimandrite Teofil Părăian of Sâmbăta de Sus, who lamented…

Mar 4, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

The Week in Pictures: February 24 – March 2, 2025

Highlights from the week leading up to Lent, a transition time marked by tradition, prayer and reflection, captured through the camera lens and included in our photo feature story for the week of 24 February-2 March 2025. Last week’s most-liked Instagram post:   Vezi această postare pe Instagram   O postare distribuită de Basilica.ro (@basilica.ro)…

Mar 3, 2025Ștefana Totorcea