Society

Romanian President enacts law establishing May 16 as National Day of Religious Freedom

Romanian President Nicușor Dan has signed into law a bill establishing the National Day of Religious Freedom and of the Contribution of Religious Communities to Romanian Society, to be celebrated annually on May 16 starting next year. According to the new legislation, May 16 will be marked by “cultural-religious and educational events dedicated to religious…

Jun 11, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Georgian Embassy in Bucharest celebrates National Day, highlights religious and cultural ties with Romania

The Embassy of Georgia in Bucharest hosted a reception on Tuesday to mark Georgia’s National Day, celebrated annually on May 26. Her Excellency Tamar Beruchashvili, Ambassador of Georgia to Romania, hosted the event. Among the attendees were representatives of the Presidential Administration, Government, and Parliament of Romania, as well as diplomats, business leaders, and cultural…

Jun 11, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox Interparliamentary Assembly opens annual session in Bucharest, focuses on AI and Christian values

The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO) convened its annual session in Bucharest this week, with the opening ceremony held Tuesday at the Palace of the Parliament. “We encourage you to continue working together to promote justice, peace, and human dignity, in order to bear witness, through word and deed, to the merciful love of the…

Jun 3, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Greek name ‘Sophia’ the world’s most beautiful name, study finds

The name Sophia stood out for its melodic sound and universal appeal across multiple languages, emerging as the top choice among participants in a study conducted by Dr. Bodo Winter, a cognitive linguistics expert at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. The study involved a diverse group of participants who listened to the pronunciation of…

May 26, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian hierarchs meet pope Leo XIV: He showed openness, sympathy and goodwill

Two hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church were present on Monday at the meeting of Pope Leo XIV with delegations from various confessions and religions who had attended Sunday’s official inauguration of His Holiness’ pontificate. Metropolitan Joseph of Western and Southern Europe and Bishop Siluan of Italy congratulated the new Pope on behalf of the…

May 21, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Greek community in Bucharest honours 1821 Revolution Heroes on National Day

The Greek community in Bucharest commemorated its forebears on Sunday at the Greek Church, in the context of Greece’s National Day. During the Divine Liturgy, the heroes of the Greek Revolution of 1821 were commemorated—an event marking the Greek people’s independence from the Ottoman Empire. Alongside Her Excellency Lili-Evangelia Grammatika, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic…

Mar 27, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania’s Emergency Chief calls on priests to help prevent wildfires

Raed Arafat, head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), is seeking the help of Orthodox priests in rural parishes to raise awareness and reduce the number of wildfires affecting Romania’s forests and fields. During a press conference on Sunday, Arafat urged priests to read a message after the Divine Liturgy warning parishioners about the…

Mar 11, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian village priest joins animal welfare effort to promote pet sterilization

Father Caesar Cranta, parish priest of the Micșuneștii Mari community in Ilfov County, has been going door to door alongside members of the Animal Protection Agency, urging residents of Nuci commune to sterilize their dogs and cats. “As a village priest, I am often the first to witness the struggles of certain people, especially those…

Mar 11, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania honours anti-communist political prisoners in Bucharest memorial service

On Sunday, anti-communist political prisoners were commemorated at the “Wings” Monument in Piața Presei Libere (Free Press Square), Bucharest. The memorial event began with the singing of the national anthem and a memorial service officiated by Father Lucian Georgescu, dean of Sector 1 in Bucharest, alongside an assembly of Orthodox clergy. “On this day, the…

Mar 10, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania’s Central Bank issues commemorative coin for the 375th anniversary of Saint Anthimos the Iberian’s birth

The National Bank of Romania (BNR) launched a commemorative gold coin on Monday to mark the 375th anniversary of the birth of Saint Anthimos the Iberian, an emblematic cultural personality of Georgian origin who served as Metropolitan of Wallachia between 1708 and 1716. Coin Design and Features The obverse of the coin features a detailed…

Mar 3, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Republic of Moldova establishes “Council of Memory” to commemorate victims of communist repression

The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Research of Moldova have recently established the “Council of Memory,” a consultative body dedicated to honouring the victims of political repression under the totalitarian communist regime (1917-1990). The founding order was signed on February 7 by Ministers Sergiu Prodan and Dan Perciun, aiming to contribute…

Feb 18, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu