His Grace Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, general secretary of the Holy Synod, received His Grace Bishop Mark of Gaborone and Botswana at the Patriarchal Palace last Thursday, Feb. 12. “I conveyed the greetings of His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa to His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel,” the visiting hierarch said.…
“Let us seek simplicity and strive to acquire prayer, so that in times of trial we may be able to fight,” says Nun Nectaria Lazăr of Pasărea Monastery in Ilfov County, the biological sister of Saint Elizabeth of Pasărea, in a feature report for the newspaper of the Romanian Patriarchate. The nun recalled her childhood…
Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada on Thursday addressed a message of condolences and compassion following the shooting attack at a school in Tumbler Ridge, Canada. According to The Canadian Press, 10 people were killed in Tuesday’s attack, including the sole suspect. “We extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their…
Italy’s lower house on Thursday unanimously approved legislation regulating relations between the Italian state and the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy, marking a major step toward formal recognition of the legal status and public role of one of the country’s largest religious communities. The Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy thanked the Chamber of Deputies for…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church welcomed on Friday His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veria, Naoussa, and Kampania of the Church of Greece at the Patriarchal Residence in Bucharest. Metropolitan Panteleimon is in Bucharest to take part in the Romanian Tourism Fair and in the launch of the documentary “The Nectar of…
Digital Matericon: Women Saints of February (II) continues our monthly series dedicated to the lives of women saints commemorated throughout the Church year, highlighting a remarkable group of holy women remembered in the second half of February. This instalment presents the spiritual portraits of Saint Scholastica, Saint Theodora the Empress, Saint Priscilla, Saint Mariamne, Saint…
The Basilica Media Centre of the Romanian Patriarchate has been nominated for the Special Award granted by the Union of Professional Journalists of Romania (Uniunea Ziariștilor Profesioniști din România) at the “Excellence in Journalism” gala. The ceremony will take place on February 16, starting at 7:00 p.m., at the Ion Creangă theatre in Bucharest. Other…
Diana Coman, a social media specialist who posts on Instagram under the name @ProfaDeSocialMedia, has published a practical guide to responsible online communication, stressing that “social media is about conversations, not about who has the last word – about how we choose to speak, not only about what we say.” In a post addressed to…
An icon of Saint Demetrius the Myrrh-gusher, donated by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, and an icon of the Mother of God with the Child, donated by Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria, were placed on Tuesday in the new laboratory of Bulgaria’s “St. Clement of Ohrid” research base on Livingston Island, in Antarctica. The icon…
The Romanian Orthodox parish in Malta’s capital, Valletta, was visited earlier this month by a group of 70 pupils from Pembroke Secondary School as part of an educational programme to familiarise students with Malta’s Christian traditions. The group was accompanied by their religion teachers. For nearly an hour, the parish priest, Fr Alexandru Popescu, presented…
His Grace Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia, on Tuesday, received a visit from His Excellency Leon Țurcanu, Ambassador of Romania to the Republic of Moldova, at the diocesan centre in Cahul. During the meeting, the hierarch presented the diocese’s main projects and priorities for 2026, emphasising the importance of communication and dialogue for both the…
The Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Ireland and Iceland on Saturday hosted a lecture titled “Holy Women of the Romanian People as Models of Life” at the Diocesan Cathedral of Dublin, delivered by Prof. Dr George Enache. The lecture presented key moments and spiritual landmarks from the lives of Romanian holy women—martyrs, monastics, Christian wives and…
The Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Tuesday launched a new mobile application designed to inform and connect Romanian communities across the archdiocese. The platform is called ROARCH, inspired by the archdiocesan institution’s official title. The launch took place at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of Saint George the Great Martyr in London…
Monk Nicolae Steinhardt of Rohia Monastery, the author of the well-known spiritual memoir The Journal of Joy, could be proposed for canonisation, after a meeting of the metropolitan synod held on Tuesday in Cluj-Napoca. The working session was chaired by Metropolitan Andrei of Cluj and attended by bishops from the dioceses of Cluj, Maramureș, Sătmar,…
Estonian Orthodox Christian composer Arvo Pärt has once again been named the world’s most performed living composer, according to the annual rankings compiled by Bachtrack, a UK-based classical music analytics platform. According to Estonian World, the ranking highlights Pärt’s extraordinary international impact, although the anniversary year was notable for more than just statistics. His son,…
Pantocrator Monastery in Teleorman County, southern Romania, will again mark its patronal feast in a special way this year, as the honourable skull of the Great Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer will be brought from the Athonite Xenophontos Monastery. The holy relic will be displayed at the Romanian monastery from April 22 to April 28, 2026,…
Archimandrite Melchisedec Velnic, abbot of Putna Monastery, said last Saturday that Patriarch Teoctist viewed monastic life “not as a relic of the past, but as a vital, regenerating force of Romanian Orthodoxy”, as the monastery’s brotherhood officiated a memorial service marking 111 years since the former patriarch’s birth. “He loved monasticism, because he himself remained,…
An event dedicated to the life and academic career of Leon Dănăilă, an emblematic figure of Romanian neurosurgery and medical research, brought together leading figures from the scientific, cultural, academic and religious fields last Thursday at the National Theatre in Bucharest. During the ceremony, the renowned Romanian neurosurgeon received several honours and awards, including the…
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church announced that 2027 has been designated a Commemorative Year in honour of the Patriarchs Justinian Marina (1948–1977) and Teoctist Arăpașu (1986–2007). The decision was approved on the eve of the 111th anniversary of the late Patriarch Teoctist’s birth. The two Primates led the Romanian Orthodox Church during…
Speaking on Sunday at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie of Sinaia said that the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son does not reproach his child, does not humiliate him and does not demand explanations. “His gaze does not fall on the sin, but on the suffering that needs healing.…