The local proclamation of the canonisation of St Philothea of Pasărea and St Elizabeth of Pasărea will take place on 5 June 2026. To mark the occasion, an extensive liturgical programme will be held at Pasărea Monastery on 4–5 June 2026, as follows: Thursday, 4 June 2026 5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Vigil service…
Orthodox Christians are observing a fast-free week, during which there is no fasting on Wednesday or Friday, before the beginning of the Fast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. This year, the fast will begin on Monday, 8 June. The period of preparation for the feast of the two great Apostles will conclude on…
Romanian heroes of the First World War were commemorated by Metropolitan Iosif at Soultzmatt, France. The event was organised by several Romanian Orthodox communities in the region. The commemoration took place on Saturday at the only and largest Romanian military cemetery in France. The memorial service was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony. Numerous Romanian faithful…
Elena Alistar, the first of seven children born to Fr Vasile Balan and Presbytera Elizaveta Balan in the village of Vaisal, Ismail County, was born on 1 June 1873. She married Fr Dimitrie Alistar, who served in Răzeni, Chișinău County. During that period, she worked as a teacher for children in several villages. Sadly, her…
On the Feast of Pentecost, His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina concelebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iași together with Bishop Damaskinos Olkinuora of Haapsalu from the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Teofan highlighted the importance of the Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of the faithful. “The overshadowing of…
“Children are a testimony to the blessing poured out by God upon the world, renewing in our hearts an awareness of the greatness of the gift of life,” said His Eminence Hon Metropolitan Nifon, Archbishop of Târgoviște and Patriarchal Exarch, on Monday, on the occasion of International Children’s Day. His Eminence highlighted the value of…
Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Monday at the Patriarchal Cathedral, where he underlined that all the works of the Church are accomplished through the grace of the Holy Spirit in the name of the Holy Trinity. The hierarch emphasised the cooperation of the Persons of the Holy Trinity, noting…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, on Monday of the Holy Spirit, marked the patronal feast of the Basilica Media Centre by praising its role in communicating the life of the Church and promoting Orthodox values in contemporary society. In a message addressed to the staff of the Romanian Patriarchate’s media institutions, the Patriarch described the Basilica…
On the Feast of the Holy Trinity (Monday of the Holy Spirit), the Basilica Media Centre of the Romanian Patriarchate reaffirmed its mission to communicate the life of the Church and promote the values of the Christian faith in the public sphere. All components of the Basilica Media Centre are under the protection of the…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said on Sunday at the historic St George Chapel of the Patriarchal Residence that “the Holy Spirit unites the tears of repentance with the joy of renewed life.” The Patriarch explained that the Feast of Pentecost marks the visible establishment of Christ’s Church in history. “Pentecost is also the Feast of…
Regarding the situation in the Metropolis of Bessarabia, we wish to clarify that on 27 May 2026, His Eminence Metropolitan Petru, Archbishop of Chișinău and Metropolitan of Bessarabia, submitted his request to retire from the ministry of Archbishop and Metropolitan due to age, health considerations, and for the good of the Church. The request will…
Assistant Bishop Damaschin of Dorna officiated Vespers on Monday at the Church of the Presentation of the Lord (“Vovidenia”) in Botoșani, where he reflected on the role of church music. The liturgical service formed part of the programme of the Iași International Byzantine Music Festival. The bishop highlighted the authentic meaning of church music and…
Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești received an official delegation from Greece on Tuesday at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest during a meeting focused on dialogue and strengthening relations between the two countries. The delegation was led by Deputy Minister of the Interior Konstantinos Gioulekas and included representatives of academia, local administration, professional associations and…
Patriarch Daniel has issued a message of encouragement to Romanian pupils and students preparing for examinations, urging them to combine diligent study with prayer, perseverance and trust in the gifts received from God. In a message addressed to young people across Romania as the examination season begins, the Patriarch stresses that academic success is important…
In their Pentecost pastoral letter addressed to Romanians in Western and Southern Europe, the hierarchs of the Metropolis warn that “amid the ceaseless noise of the modern world, man risks losing precisely what matters most: true communion.” Drawing on the words of Scripture, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4), the…
Metropolitan Saba Isper visited the Romanian Orthodox Monastery in Middletown on Monday, where he met with Archimandrite Melchisedec Velnic, abbot of Putna Monastery, and Archimandrite Ieremia Berbec, abbot of Middletown Monastery. The head of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in North America spent the day in prayer and dialogue with the two abbots. “In an atmosphere…
A group of students and professors from Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo was received on Thursday by Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest. The Benedictine theologians said that, during their pilgrimage in Romania, they plan to study the works of Saint Dumitru Stăniloae, one of the most influential Orthodox theologians…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel has called on Romanians living abroad to preserve their Christian faith, family unity and national identity in a message issued for the Day of Romanians Everywhere, marked this Sunday. In his message, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church described the celebration as an occasion to reaffirm the values that unite…
Patriarch Daniel has called on Christian families to rediscover the spiritual vocation of the home as “a space of faith and generous love” in his message for International Children’s Day 2026, celebrated this year together with the Feast of the Holy Trinity. In the message, entitled “The Christian Family – Icon of the Love of…
A Romanian YouTuber with more than 145,000 subscribers has recreated the Metropolitan Cathedral of Timișoara in the video game Minecraft. The creator told Basilica.ro that the project aims to promote Romania’s architectural heritage and encourage young people to discover religious and cultural monuments. The project, which began in February, was built at a 3:1 scale,…