Speaking on Sunday at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie of Sinaia said that the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son does not reproach his child, does not humiliate him and does not demand explanations. “His gaze does not fall on the sin, but on the suffering that needs healing.…
The Diaconia Social Mission of the Metropolis of Bessarabia has partnered with Catholic Relief Services to prevent the separation of children from their families and to combat domestic violence under a nine-month project titled “Community and Communion.” Child protection and prevention of domestic violence Implemented in the Republic of Moldova between January and September 2026,…
Patriarch Daniel said on Sunday that when a sinner turns back to God and takes the first steps of repentance, God Himself runs out to meet that person — and that the outstretched hands of God the Father are made visible in the saving and sanctifying work of Christ’s Church. “When a sinner returns to…
“May the good God grant us the wisdom that leads us back to Christ, and help us use the time of Great Lent with discernment, so that the feast of Pascha may truly become, for each of us, a return to the boundless love of our Heavenly Father,” said Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești…
Sorin Grindeanu, Speaker of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, met last Wednesday with His Beatitude Theophilos III of Jerusalem, Patriarch of Jerusalem. The meeting took place during an official visit to Israel by the Romanian parliamentary delegation, which also included Romania’s health minister and several members of parliament. “The first visit was to His Beatitude Patriarch…
Bishop Antonie of Bălți prayed on Thursday for the hierarchs who once shepherded Bessarabia and who are buried at the cemetery of Cernica Monastery, near Bucharest. Bishop Antonie lit a vigil lamp at the graves of Metropolitan Gurie Grosu of Bessarabia (1928–1936), Metropolitan Tit Simedrea of Bukovina—who served in Bălți between 1935 and 1940—and Bishop…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered an official address on Friday morning, 6 February, during the solemn proclamation of the canonisation of 16 Romanian Women Saints, held at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, in the presence of the members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church. In his message, the Patriarch described the newly…
Romania’s National Cathedral of Romania has been recreated in a virtual environment as part of a project developed on the Orthocraft server within the video game Minecraft. “This build captures the immense scale of the real cathedral, from the vast interior and towering dome to the iconography, chandeliers, and architectural details, all recreated with accuracy…
On Friday, 6 February 2026, the working session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church was held in the “Patriarch Teoctist” Aula Magna of the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest, under the chairmanship of Patriarch Daniel. The Holy Synod adopted a number of decisions concerning pastoral and missionary activity, including the following: It declared…
The general proclamation of the canonisation of the 16 Romanian holy women took place on Friday at the Patriarchal Cathedral. The solemn ceremony was held towards the end of the Divine Liturgy celebrated by Patriarch Daniel, together with the members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The official act of proclamation of…
Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiesti on Thursday evening officiated the final memorial service for the 16 newly canonised Romanian holy women, stressing that “holiness is accessible to every Christian who desires it and seeks it at any time”. The service was held at the Patriarchal Cathedral and was preceded by Great Vespers. Bishop Varlaam…
The annual working session of the National Church Assembly of the Romanian Orthodox Church was opened on Thursday morning by Patriarch Daniel at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest. In his address, the Patriarch reviewed the main events that took place in 2025. The session was preceded by a Te Deum service officiated by Bishop Samuel…
The National Church Council of the Romanian Orthodox Church met on Wednesday at the Patriarchal Residence in Bucharest. On this occasion, Patriarch Daniel presented the activity report of the Romanian Orthodox Church for 2025. The summary report, entitled “The Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate, the New Romanian Saints and the Consecration of the Iconography of…
Filmmaker Yelena Popovic talked to Orthodox Observer about her new movie, Moses the Black, which premiered in the United States on January 30. She explained that she took her inspiration from the Lives of the Saints, but told the story in a manner that can touch the hearts of those who need it most: “I…
His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia chaired on Monday the Diocesan Assembly, the deliberative body of the Archdiocese of Chișinău, during which the report on the archdiocese’s activities for the past year was presented. The meeting was preceded by prayer, with a Te Deum service celebrated in the chapel of Saint John the Theologian of…
Families in which the Three Holy Hierarchs were born show that, “regardless of the challenges one faces and the contexts one must navigate, there are solutions” for raising children who are faithful to the Church and well formed intellectually and socially, said Cosmin Pricop, Dean of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology “Patriarch Justinian” at the…
His Grace Marc of Nemț, Assistant Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Western Europe, celebrated the Divine Liturgy last Friday for the patronal feast of the first Orthodox place of worship built by Romanians in France, in La Courneuve. The church is dedicated to the Three Holy Hierarchs, who were honoured by the clergy…
The Romanian Patriarchate marks Wednesday the 101st anniversary of its establishment. The founding act of the Romanian Patriarchate was approved by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church on 4 February 1925. The Holy Synod’s decision was communicated to the Parliament of Romania, and the establishment of the Romanian Patriarchate was unanimously recognised and…
The Church ranks first in the public trust league in Romania, according to the latest barometer published by Informat.ro and INSCOP Research. According to the survey data, 63.9% of respondents report having “quite a lot” or “very much” trust in the Church, up from 57.7% in July last year. The Church thus becomes the institution…
On Tuesday, His Eminence Hon Metropolitan Nifon, Archbishop of Târgoviște and Patriarchal Exarch, received at the diocesan residence the visit of His Excellency Giles Portman, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Romania. The meeting provided the opportunity for a cordial dialogue on the spiritual, cultural and historical links between…