Around 2,400 young people from Romania and abroad are expected to take part in this year’s International Orthodox Youth Meeting (ITO), which will be held in Bucharest from 31 August to 3 September.
The gathering will be held under the theme Young People, the Family and the Meaning of Life in Christ, reflecting the Romanian Orthodox Church’s Solemn Year of Pastoral Care for the Christian Family and the Commemorative Year of the Holy Women of the Calendar.
“The event aims to bring together participants aged between 16 and 35, offering them an authentic setting for encounter, spiritual formation and meaningful dialogue on issues that concern them directly: family, vocation and Christian identity in a constantly changing world,” Archdeacon Eugen Maftei, diocesan adviser for education and youth activities at the Archdiocese of Bucharest, told Basilica.ro.
Addressing the Challenges Facing Today’s Generation
Archdeacon Maftei explained that this year’s theme responds to the contemporary challenges facing young people and the Christian family in a society marked by individualism, changing understandings of relationships and the search for life’s meaning.
“The Romanian Orthodox Church, like a loving mother, understands that young people need guidance, attentive listening, respect and encouragement. In this spirit, ITO 2026 will provide an ideal setting for open dialogue, mutual understanding and the shared joy of encountering the living Christ.”
According to the organisers, this year’s edition will also address issues particularly relevant to the current generation, including technological hyper-connectivity, the lack of inspiring role models, pressures on family life and the search for meaning, offering young people a space for reflection and dialogue in the light of the Gospel.
“ITO 2026 seeks to become a blessed space where these questions may be asked sincerely and where answers may be sought together in the light of Christ. It will provide an environment for genuine dialogue, in which the experience of the Church—embodied in the lives of the saints—meets the questions, struggles and aspirations of today’s young people,” Archdeacon Maftei said.
Sharing Experience Among Youth Leaders
Particular emphasis will be placed on the formation of those already engaged in youth ministry. This year’s meeting has been designed as a forum for encounter and the exchange of experience among coordinators of youth activities from dioceses in Romania and across the Romanian Orthodox diaspora.
“The aim is, on the one hand, to gain a deeper understanding of how young people relate to life, the Church and the challenges of today’s world and, on the other, to strengthen participants in their mission as youth leaders.”
“The event will also help to develop the existing networks of communication and cooperation among young people involved in Church activities, making it easier for communities to share experiences and good practice,” the diocesan adviser added.
The International Orthodox Youth Meeting is the Romanian Orthodox Church’s largest annual event dedicated to young people. Organised since 2014, it is hosted in rotation by one of the Church’s university diocesan centres. Following previous editions in Baia Mare, Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest, Iași, Sibiu, Craiova and Timișoara, the 2026 meeting returns to the Romanian capital.
Photo: Basilica.ro Files
