His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel thanked Pope Francis in a letter sent on April 23 for the medical equipment donated to the St John the New Hospital in Suceava. The donation, consisting of five lung ventilators, 200 overalls, 900 FFP2 masks, and 5,000 sanitary masks, was offered on the feast day of Saint George the Trophy-bearer,…
‘The Holy Great Martyr Gorge is for us today a great helper in times of tribulation,’ His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said on Bright Thursday celebrating the patronal feast of the historic chapel of the patriarchal residence. “As he overcame the demons who worked through the persecuting pagan emperors and conquered all temptations and sufferings, so…
The assistant bishop to the Archdiocese of Suceava and Radauti urged the clergy and believers to join prayers for the recovery of the 90-year-old Archbishop Pimen who is hospitalized at Matei Bals Hospital in Bucharest after testing positive for coronavirus. ‘We have this spiritual duty to His Eminence Archbishop Pimen, as one who also carried…
In these days illuminated by the joy of Christ’s Resurrection, and by the pleasure of finding Orthodox Christians in communion and solidarity through the reliable support of people severely affected by the current pandemic, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel thanks the hierarchs, priests, deacons and believers of the Romanian Orthodox Church who responded to the call…
Carrying on a centuries-old Orthodox tradition of religious processions in times of suffering and need, the relics of St. Filofteia of Argeş, known as the “Protectress of Romania,” were carried in procession throughout Argeş County on Wednesday, April 22, with prayers to end the coronavirus pandemic. Her miraculous relics are treasured at the Archdiocesan Cathedral…
On Saturday, the Romanian Orthodox Church marks its 135th anniversary of autocephaly. After Romania gained its state independence in 1877 and was declared a Kingdom in 1881, the prestige of the Romanian Orthodox Church increased, making necessary the formal recognition of its autocephaly, long denied by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. On November 23, 1882, the Holy…
On Bright Tuesday, the third day of Holy Pascha, the wonderworking Axion Estin (It is Truly Meet) Icon of the Mother of God from Romania’s famous Sihăstria Monastery was carried in procession, with the monks entreating God for relief from the coronavirus pandemic and drought. The procession took place after the celebration of the Divine…
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network in more than 193 countries. In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day…
His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada has urged the clergy and faithful within his jurisdiction to pray in the coming days for all those affected – living or asleep, by the tragic event that took place in the province of Nova Scotia in eastern Canada: Christ is risen! With great sadness, the Romanian Orthodox…
In a recent interview, French theologian Jean-Claude Larchet, well-known to Romanians through his numerous books on illness and suffering, places the Covid-19 pandemic in historical context and discusses the challenges to religious practice which stemmed from it and spurred controversy among the Orthodox faithful. The extensive interview approaches hotly debated topics such as the issue…
During the Agape Vespers on Easter Sunday, also known as the Second Resurrection, Patriarch Daniel spoke about the characteristics of the Saviour’s risen body stressing that the marks of His Passion remained in his glorified body. The Patriarch of Romania explained why the risen Lord passed through the locked doors to meet his disciples. ‘He…
Patriarch Daniel, April 19, 2020: ‘Christ’s Resurrection today is for us as always a source of light and peace, a source of joy, but also a source of spiritual power to fight the hardships of life, including to fight with the disease, the fear of death, and suffering, with everything that severely befalls us and…
In the second half of March and the first ten days of April 2020, the Romanian Orthodox Church invested over 2 million Euros (10 million ROL) in measures of support to combat the social effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Support actions continue, organized both at diocesan level and at grassroots level, in parishes who all…
The Prince of Wales has sent a video message for the Romanians, who celebrate Orthodox Easter. In it, he evokes the current health crisis and expresses the wish to travel again to Romania and also to meet again with members of the Romanian community in the United Kingdom. The message was recorded on Friday at…
The Holy Fire has descended in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem entered the church a little after 1:00 PM, and after vesting and processing thrice around the Lord’s Tomb, he entered the Tomb itself at 1:45 PM. The Holy Light descended at about 1:50 PM,…
After a long pause during the communist period, the foot-washing ceremony was resumed at Putna Monastery starting with 1992, during the stewardship of abbot Iachint Unciuleac. The ceremony cannot be held everywhere since at least twelve persons are needed Archimandrite Melchisedec explained after washing the feet of his fellow priests at Putna Monastery on April…
In his pastoral letter on Holy Pascha 2020, the Metropolitan of Bessarabia urged Orthodox Christians to profess Christ’s Resurrection and to take advantage of the home isolation period to consolidate their family relationships, but also to do mercy, thus showing solidarity with those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. ‘It may be hard and uncomfortable for…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel sent a video message for Easter in which he encourages the faithful to stay in communion of prayer. He asks for the Lord’s blessing over the doctors, carers and state leaders, whishing Romania and the world good health, hope and peace. The video and full text of his message: The feast…
As Romanian Orthodox believers are deprived of receiving Holy Communion in churches following the coronavirus outbreak, Patriarch Daniel said there are several ways to receive Christ in our souls spiritually. ‘Now only those who call priests home can receive the Eucharist,’ Patriarch Daniel said during his homily in an empty patriarchal cathedral on Maundy Thursday.…
The Romanian Orthodox Church Wednesday reached an agreement with the Ministry of Internal Affairs to allow church volunteers to distribute consecrated bread (Paști) and Holy Fire to believers on Easter night. The first form of the agreement signed on Tuesday was later amended by the two parts as epidemiologists expect the coronavirus pandemic to reach…