On Good Friday, His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia met with Her Excellency Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova. Metropolitan Petru discussed the objectives, pastoral duties, and social engagements of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Bessarabia. The metropolitan website reported that His Eminence emphasised the significance of peace and unity in society and…
“Orthodox spirituality does not recognize the utopianism of a Resurrection without Crucifixion, nor the pessimism of the Cross without the Resurrection,” noted His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in his patriarchal encyclical for Holy Pascha. Full text: Patriarchal Encyclical for Holy Pascha of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew †Bartholomew By God’s Mercy, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical…
The Holy Fire has descended in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, at about PM. After the Fire’s descent, the Patriarch passed the holy gift to the faithful who lit from it their bundles of 33 candles, per the age of Christ at the time of His Crucifixion and Resurrection. The descent of…
Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem sent an Easter message on Wednesday proclaiming the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and calling for an end to all hostilities in the region – “primarily to Gaza, the entire Holy Land and the Middle East”. “Today, the Church of Christ proclaims the gospel of unspeakable joy to the…
“Let us show a merciful heart towards those in need. Let us raise a thought of prayer for our fellows whose lives are troubled by the war in Ukraine, in the Holy Land and other parts of the world,” Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina urged in his Easter encyclical. At the same time, His Eminence Metropolitan…
In his pastoral letter for Holy Pascha, His Grace Bishop Sebastian of Slatina and Romanati advised the faithful to reject partisanship in the context of the current wars and to pray for all parties involved: “Let us raise the Cross instead of the sword and seek peace, not war; that peace that the Lord gave…
Friday is World Press Freedom Day, marked annually on 3 May. It was established by the UN in 1993. The day’s purpose is to remind governments to live up to their promise to provide freedom of expression to the press and journalists. This year, the theme is environmental protection. This year’s theme is “A Press…
On Thursday, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church sent an irenic Easter letter to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and the Primates of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches. Full text: Bucharest, Holy Easter 2024 Your Holiness/Your Beatitude, Christ is Risen! The Holy Feast of the Resurrection is the foundation of the Christian life and the foretaste…
His Grace patriarchal auxiliary bishop Varlaam of Ploiești welcomed Rev. Hugh Wybrew, former chaplain of the Anglican Church in Bucharest between 1971 and 1973, for an audience at the Palace of the Patriarchate on Wednesday, May 1. Viorel Coman, patriarchal adviser at the Department for inter-church and inter-religious relations of the Patriarchal Administration, and Rev. Nevsky…
“We are responsible for standing upright and confessing the true faith, the true Orthodox values, defending our Romanian spiritual identity, and resembling the myrrh-bearing women,” His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia wrote in his pastoral letter for Holy Pascha 2024. “Full of courage, faith, zeal, and love, let us preach peace and forgiveness and share…
In his Easter message, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel recalled that Christ’s Resurrection celebrates His humble and merciful love for all. “The Resurrection of the Lord is the celebration of Christ’s humble and merciful love, the One who overcame hatred, violence and death, giving people eternal life. That is why Holy Pascha is the celebration of forgiveness, peace…
International Labour Day, marked annually on May 1, was established by dozens of nations in memory of the struggle of America’s industrial workers for the eight-hour workday. In the 19th century in the US, it was not uncommon for workers to spend up to 16 hours a day at their jobs, reports America’s National Public…
OrthPhoto, an international organisation of Orthodox photographers, observed its 20th anniversary this month. The OrthPhoto community was established amidst the descent of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem on April 10, 2004. Over the past twenty years, the community has amassed a membership of over 120,000 individuals hailing from more than eighty countries. The gradual emergence…
Today marks 139 years since the Ecumenical Patriarchate recognized the autocephaly of the Romanian Orthodox Church, an essential moment for the Church and the Romanian State, which had won its independence from the Ottoman Empire (1877). “Essentially, autocephaly is the recognition of the spiritual maturity and administrative and pastoral freedom of an Orthodox Church in…
Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Nicolae and Father Mihail Balan, parish priest of the Romanian community in Las Vegas, have recently been awarded formal recognition by the Nevada state and the officials of Las Vegas city. One of the recognition certificates came from the office of Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, handed over by Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony.…
Representatives of the Common Technical Bureau of the Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem announced the utmost number of pilgrims permitted to attend the Holy Fire Ceremony on Holy Saturday. Theodosios Mitropoulos, the architect of the Church of the Resurrection, and Nagib Naser, the architect of the Franciscan Brotherhood, confirmed to the Tourist Police station that…
Romanian Orthodox Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada participated in the annual dialogue of the Orthodox and Catholic bishops from Canada. The Canadian Conference of Orthodox Bishops was represented by the Greek Archbishop Sotirios of Canada, Bishop Andriy (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada) and Father Peter Avgeropoulos, assistant (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada). The Conference of…
His Eminence Metropolitan Petru issued a message honouring the victims of the organised famine that ravaged Bessarabia from 1946 to 1947. “We bow our heads and knees to the memory of the reposed and promise never to forget their suffering and the lesson they left us,” the Metropolitan of Bessarabia said. This commemoration takes place…
Her Excellency Tamar Beruchashvili, Georgia’s Ambassador to Bucharest, visited the Library of the Holy Synod at St Anthimos Monastery on Thursday, April 18. Consul David Chachava accompanied the Georgian Ambassador. The Very Rev. Archimandrite Policarp Chitulescu, the Library of the Holy Synod director, welcomed the Georgian officials. The purpose of the visit was to coordinate…
Friday evening, a delegation from the Diocese of Alexandria and Teleorman arrived in Paris, bearing the sacred relics of Saint Mary Magdalene. The reliquary remained at the Three Holy Hierarchs church in La Courneuve, north of the French capital, until Sunday. The relics were welcomed by His Grace Nectarie of Brittany, Assistant Bishop to the…