Society

Open Doors says persecution hits 388 mln Christians worldwide, families face growing pressure

According to the World Watch List 2026 report published by Open Doors, religious persecution targeting Christians has a direct impact on family life, with converts facing pressure, abuse and marginalisation even from their own relatives. The report points to a worsening of anti-Christian persecution worldwide, both in scale and intensity, with direct consequences for family…

Jan 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Timotei says Christ’s peace runs deeper than worldly calm at ecumenical prayer service

“The peace the Lord offers is different from the peace we observe, or that is presented to us in various forms. It is not the apparent quiet of cemeteries, nor the fragile balance of powers that neutralise one another,” Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova said on Tuesday. The assistant bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest…

Jan 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian churches open Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Bucharest

The Week (Octave) of Prayer for Christian Unity opened on Monday at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Bucharest. Representing the Patriarch of Romania, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești attended the event, accompanied by Archimandrite Augustin Coman, Patriarchal Adviser in the Department for Christian Relations, Interreligious Affairs and Romanian Communities Abroad of…

Jan 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Banat Metropolitan calls for prayer for families, end to violence against women

His Eminence Metropolitan Ioan of Banat on Sunday urged prayer for families and called for an end to violence against women. “I would raise a prayer to God to bless our country, Banat and the whole world,” the metropolitan said. “To you, my brothers, I have one request: let us pray for families, because in…

Jan 20, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania’s religious leaders and Government meet to tackle antisemitism and hate speech

Representatives of the religious denominations officially recognised in Romania and government officials met on Friday to discuss the prevention and combating of antisemitism and other forms of intolerance. The delegate of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church, was His Grace Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, the Holy Synod’s general secretary.…

Jan 19, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Over 5 billion live under religious discrimination, interfaith dialogue seen as remedy

More than two-thirds of the world’s population lives in countries where religious freedom is restricted or violated, according to a 2025 report published by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN International). The document notes that interreligious dialogue and cooperation between communities can help reduce discrimination and promote social peace. Analysing the situation in 196…

Jan 15, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Anti-Christian hate crimes remain high across Europe, rights groups say

European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) and the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC) have published a new annual report showing that hate crimes and violence targeting Christians remain at persistently high levels across Europe. The report finds that ideological motivations are increasingly driving such incidents, alongside religiously motivated attacks…

Dec 24, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop of Australia and New Zealand calls for peace and interreligious dialogue after the tragedy in Sydney

The Romanian Orthodox Bishop Mihail of Australia and New Zealand has issued a message of solidarity and prayer following the tragedy at Bondi Beach, Sydney, calling for peace, mutual respect, and interreligious dialogue within Australian society. In his message delivered after the armed attack that left 15 people dead and more than 20 injured, His…

Dec 18, 2025Mihail Pătrășcanu

Putna Monastery prays for Romanians killed in Ukraine war as numbers double in 2025

The Very Rev. Archimandrite Melchisedec Velnic, abbot of Putna Monastery, led a memorial service on Sunday together with his monastic community in remembrance of ethnic Romanians who have lost their lives in the war in Ukraine. While last year’s memorial listed 130 ethnic Romanians killed in the conflict, this year the number has risen significantly,…

Dec 15, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Over 100 million people live where Bible access remains restricted — new report

A new international report finds that more than 100 million people live in countries where access to the Bible is limited or risky. Yet the analysis also signals hope: needs are now more clearly identified than ever, allowing global support to reach those seeking Scripture more effectively. The report, published on the Bible Access List…

Dec 4, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian academics urge “authenticity” and discernment amid rapid rise of artificial intelligence

A conference on artificial intelligence was held last week at the PRECIS Centre of the Faculty of Automatic Control and Computers at the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest. On this occasion, Professor Adrian Lemeni from the “Patriarch Justinian” Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest spoke about the courage to embrace authenticity in…

Nov 25, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu