In a message occasioned by Europe Day, Bishop Justin of Maramureş and Sătmar emphasized the contribution of God and Christianity to the smooth running of history. “History is shaped in partnership with God. Europe, the nations of Europe, which today and tomorrow separate themselves from Christ, will have to give a difficult answer before God…
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed,” Patriarch Daniel said at the beginning of his sermon on the Sunday of Saint Thomas. “Faith in Christ is a way of knowledge different from knowing through the senses, through touch. Knowing through the senses is limited knowledge. Knowing by faith is a feeling…
After several months of lockdown restrictions, Mt. Athos is finally open to pilgrims again, starting Tuesday, May 11, 2021. The decision to reopen the Holy Mountain was made by the Sacred Community—the governing body of Mt. Athos, consisting of one representative from each of the 20 ruling monasteries. The number of pilgrims allowed on the…
“The church calendar is full of sons of the Resurrection, those who confessed and loved the Lord who rose from the dead, people who understood that after this transient life those who believe in the Saviour Jesus Christ will live even if they die, i.e. they will live in eternity,” His Grace Assistant Bishop Timotei…
The Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral, also known as the National Cathedral, an Orthodox cathedral under construction in Bucharest, Romania, to serve as the patriarchal cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church, has a giant Orthodox iconostasis (23.8 meters length and 17.1 meters height and an area of 407 square meters), which sets the new world record for…
The person who designed Romania’s National Cathedral, Architect Constantin Amâiei, spoke at Digi24 about the entire construction process, the concept, and what the Catedral will look like after completing the works. In a dialogue with Lucian Mîndruță, the architect mentioned that the project started as an idea over 130 years ago but was resumed only…
On Easter night, the V. Rev. Archimandrite Melchisedec Velnic spoke about the ancestors’ call for a national resurrection. But “a resurrection of the people cannot be achieved without God’s people,” said Mihai Eminescu. It will be possible only if we put Christ and His name in everything. This will enlighten each of us, and the…
Bishop Andrei of Covasna and Harghita stressed that “the pandemic could not darken” the Resurrection of the Lord, “this day of light and grace”. He urged believers not to despair, to multiply good deeds, and to remain united in their families. “We all see and feel the distress and the fear of plagues, and that…
Reporters from Libertatea attended the Resurrection service at the old church Park 1 Rahova in Bucharest, where services are held simultaneously in two types of language: sign language for those with hearing impairments and the usual one for “those who hear.” “People with hearing impairments and the frequent parishioners of the community did not take…
Patriarch Daniel said that the presence of the faithful at the Holy Fire ceremony in Jerusalem is encouraging. Last year, only clergy participated. Easing restrictions was made possible by the vaccination of a large percentage of Israel’s population and is a step toward a possible reopening of pilgrimages, His Beatitude said May 1, 2021. “In…
Bright Monday marked the 125th birth anniversary of Queen Mother Helen, the grandmother of Her Majesty Crown Princess Margareta. On this occasion, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown and His Royal Highness Prince Radu attended a memorial service officiated at Cernica Monastery. The memorial service was officiated by the monastery’s abbot, Protosyncellys Vasile Pîrjol. Chanting…
The priests from the Orthodox Cathedral in Brasov officiated the Resurrection Service at an outdoor altar at the Council Square. The sanitary measures were implemented in collaboration with local authorities to avoid the congestion on Easter night and to reduce the risk of infection with the new coronavirus. The service was attended by hundreds of…
The patriarchal auxiliary bishop Ieronim of Sinaia said on Bright Monday that “the wonderful work” carried out at the National Cathedral “is a call and a still breeze of resurrection for our nation.” During his homily at the Chapel of the National Cathedral, Bishop Ieronim referred to God’s “still breeze of resurrection” in the hearts…
May 3 marked this year the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the birth of Queen Mother Helen of Romania. Her soul and character profoundly marked the lives of her son, King Michael of Romania, and his daughters. She was the only Queen in Europe who was awarded the title of “Righteous among the Nations”…
Bishop Iustin of Maramureș and Sătmar celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the “Dormition of the Mother of God” Cathedral in Satu Mare on the second Easter day. In his homily, he offered an original interpretation of our Saviour’s message to the myrrh-bearing women: “Rejoice!” and “Be not afraid”. The hierarch said these invitations also apply…
In his Easter Pastoral Letter, Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada called upon the faithful to follow in the footsteps of the patron saints of the Romanian diaspora, taking them as their models. “Let us also become steadfast confessors of the Orthodox faith, outstanding representatives of our traditional Christian values proven by time and experience, and…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel officiated the Agape Vespers at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest on Resurrection Sunday, May 2, 2021. Based on the biblical text (John 20: 19-25), read at this service in several languages, the Patriarch of Romania noted that the disciples rejoiced when they saw the risen Lord. “That is why, when we…
Celebrating the 13th Easter of his patriarchal ministry, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered a homily at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, reflecting on the joy and peace that the Resurrection of Christ offers us, thus driving away our sadness and sorrow. “The resurrection,” said the Patriarch, “is for us a cure for sorrow.” His…
There were 11 countries sending planes to Jerusalem for the Holy Fire, most of them with a Christian Orthodox majority population. They flew back home with the Holy Fire on Holy Saturday. Although Ben Gurion Airport is still closed due to COVID restrictions, Israel allowed several countries to send delegations to receive the Holy Fire…
The Holy Fire reached the Patriarchate Hill on Saturday, at 19:30 and it was handed to Patriarch Daniel. His Beatitude said the Holy Fire is the Joyful light from one of the oldest hymns of the Church. “Christ the Lord is the Joyful Light,” he said. “God, Who is Himself inaccessible light, made Himself Joyful…