On Sunday, the Romanian Orthodox Cathedral in Gyula, Hungary, marked the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Hungary. On this occasion, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Grace Bishop Sofronie of Oradea, the first Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Hungary, together with His Grace Bishop Nicodim of Severin and Strehaia…
Bishop Macarie of Northern Europe baptised a 26-year-old Swedish man, Alexander-Orest James, on Sunday at the Diocesan Metochion in Gothenburg. The baptism took place after the Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Romanian hierarch on the fifth Sunday of Great Lent. “I give glory to the All-Merciful God that our Swedish brother, Alexander, has now received…
“Prayer united with repentance and fasting helps sinners become saints, as shown in the life of Saint Mary of Egypt,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church said. The Patriarch took part on Sunday in the Divine Liturgy celebrated at the historic Chapel of the Holy Great Martyr George at the Patriarchal Residence.…
An Egyptian archaeological mission has uncovered a vast religious complex dating back around 1,500 years at the Al-Qalāyā site in Beheira Governorate in the Nile Delta, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Cairo said on Monday. Researchers believe the complex represents the second-largest known monastic centre in Christian history, a discovery considered significant for…
Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia was commemorated on Wednesday, nine days after his repose, during a memorial service at the Patriarchal Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi. The service was officiated by Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, together with members of the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church, in the presence of Georgia’s president, prime…
Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești said on Friday evening at the Patriarchal Cathedral that true freedom is found through trust in God, the Mother of God and the saints. “Only with the help of God, of the Mother of God and of the saints can we feel truly free, entrusting our lives into the…
Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia said on Friday that there is growing conviction among intellectuals, cultural figures and Church servants in the Republic of Moldova that Bessarabia’s destiny lies in communion with Romania, as the 108th anniversary of the Union was marked. “We observe with great joy that, in the conscience of intellectuals in the Republic…
Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan on Thursday attended a commemorative event at Cernica Monastery marking 108 years since the Union of Bessarabia with Romania. In a post on his official Facebook page, the head of government highlighted the significance of the 1918 event: “The Act of Union, adopted in Chișinău, was the first cornerstone laid…
The Metropolis of Cluj, Maramureș and Sălaj marked on Wednesday the 20th anniversary of its establishment with a Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Cluj-Napoca. The occasion also marked 15 years since the enthronement of Metropolitan Andrei as head of the Metropolis. The Divine Liturgy was concelebrated by Metropolitan Andrei of Cluj, Maramureș and…
Patriarch Justinian Marina was commemorated on Thursday, 49 years after his repose, at his tomb at Radu Vodă Monastery in Bucharest. The memorial service was officiated by Archimandrite Nectarie Șofelea, Abbot of the monastery and Administrative Exarch of the monasteries within the Archdiocese of Bucharest, who highlighted the difficult context of the communist regime during…
Claudia Maria Podașcă, a Romanian neurologist based in Germany, spoke in an interview hosted by the Hristocentric platform about her experience in neurology and emergency medicine. The physician said that her work across different branches of medicine has profoundly changed her perspective on life and suffering. “In emergency medicine, I understood how fragile the boundary…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church highlighted the blessing of families, especially those who give birth to or adopt children, in his homily for the Feast of the Annunciation on Wednesday. “On this day of the Annunciation in particular, we greatly value God’s blessing upon all families, and especially upon families who…
The Embassy of Israel in Romania said on Tuesday that Israeli authorities have begun logistical preparations for the transfer of the Holy Fire from Jerusalem, amid ongoing security challenges in the region. In a statement posted on social media, the embassy said that “the State of Israel is taking all necessary steps to facilitate the…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church said on Wednesday that the Mother of God holds a central place in the history of humanity’s salvation, describing her as “a living icon of the Church, obedient to God in humility”. He underlined that the Feast of the Annunciation marks “the beginning of our salvation…
The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has issued an encyclical marking the 1,400th anniversary of the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, regarded as the first such hymnographic composition in the history of the Church. The hierarchs described the Akathist as “the most beloved hymn of our liturgical life, the sweetest delight of…
A group of Romanian pilgrims prayed on Wednesday at the Church of the Virgin Mary of Blachernae in Constantinople, marking 1,400 years since the first chanting of the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God. The pilgrimage, organised by the Romanian Patriarchate’s Basilica Travel Agency, is taking place over four days and includes visits to…
A delegation of the Romanian Patriarchate that attended the funeral of Patriarch Ilia II was received on Monday afternoon at the headquarters of the Patriarchate of Georgia for a meeting with the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne and other Georgian hierarchs. Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, welcomed…
This year marks 14 centuries since the city of Constantinople was saved from a siege by a coalition of Avars and Persians, an event commemorated by the first chanting of the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God. The Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, traditionally attributed to Saint Romanos the Melodist, was first chanted in…
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I said on Sunday in Tbilisi that no one had identified more closely with Georgia than Patriarch Ilia II of blessed memory. In his address at the funeral service for Patriarch Ilia, His All-Holiness underscored the magnitude of the loss, stating: “How could we not deeply mourn the departure of…
Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia on Sunday warned that an increasing number of young people are falling prey to addictions, distancing them from faith and family. His Grace officiated the Divine Liturgy at the Parish of Saint Nicholas in Arenii Noi, Republic of Moldova. Reflecting on the Gospel account of the healing of the demoniac…