Metropolitan Ioan of Banat honoured his name day on the feast of St. John the Forerunner by eating lunch with homeless individuals in a Timisoara shelter. The metropolitan usually celebrates his name day by doing charity. Last year, he turned his attention to the people deprived of their liberty at Timișoara’s Penitentiary. Also on the feast…
The Patriarch of Romania did not make many visits in 2022, but His Beatitude’s concern for all key events and social concerns was evident in 2022, notably via the tangible acts he initiated or coordinated, the noteworthy addresses he delivered, and his prayers. Visit to Alba Iulia On October 15, the Patriarch of Romania participated…
Last week, President Klaus Iohannis promulgated a law establishing the Day of the Victory of the 1848 Revolution and the Romanian Democracy, which also designated some localities as 1848 Revolution martyr cities. The law designates June 11 as the Victory Day of the Romanian Revolution of 1848 and the Romanian democracy. Prince Gheorghe Bibescu signed…
This year, the Romanian Metropolis of Germany, Central and Northern Europe will open Leipzig’s first Orthodox kindergarten inside the compound of St George Parish. The institution will be able to admit 105 children, including 30 nursery children and 75 kindergarten students. The kindergarten will probably start its operation in April, but pedagogical staff is needed.…
On the eve of the Theophany of the Lord, the Patriarch of Romania welcomed the clergy of the Patriarchal Cathedral at his patriarchal residence. His Beatitude spoke to them about the cosmic character of the celebration and about how important it is for the faithful to receive the priest on the feast’s eve. Patriarch Daniel…
During a ceremony on New Year’s Day at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest when 2023 was officially proclaimed as Solemn Year of the pastoral care of the elderly and Commemorative Year of hymnographers and church chanters, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel addressed the faithful, stressing that a community’s social maturity can be evaluated by the way…
Romania’s resident population dropped to 19,053,815 inhabitants, the first results of the 2022 census show. Compared to the previous 2011 census, Romania lost 1.1 million inhabitants. Of the total population, 8,185,049 are active people, down from 9,180,337 active people out of a population of 20,121,641 in 2011. Of the active population, 7,688,967 are employed, and 496,082…
President Maia Sandu announced that adults who belong to national minorities in the Republic of Moldova would benefit from free Romanian language courses starting in 2023. This will be achieved by expanding the Ministry of Education’s National Program for teaching the Romanian language to non-native speakers, until now only intended for children from national minorities.…
The year 2023 was proclaimed as the “Solemn Year of the Pastoral Care of the Elderly” and the “Commemorative Year of Hymnographers and Church Chanters” in the Romanian Patriarchate. The Synodal Decree on the Proclamation of the Solemn and Commemorative Year 2023 was read by the patriarchal auxiliary bishop Varlaam of Ploiești at New Year’s…
The Solemn and Commemorative Year 2023 was officially proclaimed at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest after the Divine Liturgy celebrated on New Year’s Day. The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church declared 2023 as a Solemn Year of the pastoral care of the elderly and a Commemorative Year of hymnographers and church chanters. The…
His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, addressed a message of congratulation to Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia at his 90th Birthday. Bucharest, 4 January 2023 His Beatitude Ilia II, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi, Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia Your Beatitude, On the occasion of your 90th…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania sent condolences to His Holiness Pope Francis on Saturday, over the repose of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: Bucharest, 31 December 2022 His Holiness Pope FRANCIS, Vatican City Your Holiness, With deep sorrow, we learned about the passing away from this world, after a long suffering that he endured with much courage, of…
If rich in spirit, every Christian, whether rich or poor in material terms, “can offer Christ more precious gifts than the gifts offered by the wise men of the East.” These are “the gold of faith and good deeds, the frankincense of fervent prayer and the myrrh of a pure life,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel sent a congratulatory message on the election of the new Archbishop of Cyprus. The Patriarch of Romania wished him “blessed years in the service of the Orthodox people of Cyprus”. Full text: Bucharest, 29 December 2022 His Beatitude GEORGE III, Archbishop elect of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus Your Beatitude, On…
Israeli cultural authorities have recently presented one of the most impressive burial caves discovered in the country, more than two millennia old. The site was identified as the tomb of midwife Salome from Bethlehem and it will be open to the public. According to Tradition, midwife Salome of Bethlehem visited Infant Jesus and His mother,…
“Christ accomplishes the restoration of the humanity in His Person. Man’s nature becomes the temple and house of the Word of God,” Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada says in his Pastoral Letter on the Nativity of our Lord. “Each person fulfils its purpose by growing from the image of God to its likeness. This growth…
“God the Creator, God Almighty, did not remain in His majesty, did not look down indifferently on His creation, nor did He wait for the creature to humble itself and return, but He came Himself, emptying Himself of glory, clothing Himself in humility so that He might save lost mankind,” His Eminence Nicolae writes in…
The children’s choir of the Romanian Orthodox parish in Valletta sang Christmas carols to the President of Malta on Thursday. It was the second time Romanian children sang carols at the Presidential Palace in Malta. The concert was preceded by a short presentation by Father George-Alexandru Popescu, who thanked the Presidential couple and mentioned that…
In his Christmas pastoral letter, His Grace Mihail, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Australia and New Zealand, urges the faithful to greet the New Year with persistent prayer. “We can say that through Christ’s coming into the world, the Kingdom of God was opened to the world,” the bishop wrote. “It is important to emphasise…
“Christmas is the time for self-knowledge, for understanding the difference between “God becoming man” and “man acting as god.” It is the time for awareness of the Christian teaching that “we do not speak of man becoming divine, but of God becoming human,” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew wrote in this year’s Patriarchal Encyclical for the feast…