Romanian Orthodox Patriarch Daniel said on Sunday that, in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, the decisive criterion before God is not outward correctness, but humility of heart, stressing that “God prefers a humble sinner to an arrogant righteous man.” The Patriarch explained the meaning of the Gospel reading for the 33rd…
In a pastoral message issued at the beginning of the Triodion period, Archbishop Atanasie of Great Britain and Northern Ireland said that this liturgical season is “a true school of repentance and humility, a school of prayer, and also a school of spiritual asceticism, which reopens for us the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven.”…
The first week of February (1–7 February) is observed annually by the United Nations as World Interfaith Harmony Week. The initiative was proposed at the UN General Assembly on 23 September 2010 by King Abdullah II of Jordan and was adopted unanimously on 20 October 2010. The initiative is rooted in the 2007 A Common…
The Jerusalem Patriarchate, the Custody of the Holy Land, and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem announced the start of restoration work at the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem. According to a joint statement, the works will be carried out by the Italian company that recently oversaw the rehabilitation of the Church of the Nativity,…
Serbian Orthodox Bishop Irinej of Washington-New York and Eastern America offered the inaugural prayer at the 2026 March for Life held last week in Washington, DC. A delegation of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America (ACOB-US) attended, while Pope Leo XIV sent a support message. “We pray, Lord, for…
The Metropolis of Banat announced that it will provide spiritual and material support to the victims of the road accident that occurred on Tuesday in Timiș County, with a Greek-speaking priest set to offer spiritual assistance to those hospitalised. Metropolitan Ioan of Banat expressed his profound sorrow over the tragic road accident that took place…
Father Liviu Burlacu, a specialist in addiction recovery, recently gave an interview to Euro TV, urging those struggling with addiction to ask for help. Alcohol, drug or gambling addiction can be overcome when the affected person has the courage to seek and accept support, he said. “It is an act of dignity and humility to…
The Diocesan Assembly and Congress of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy brought together more than 900 clergy, monastics and lay representatives on Tuesday in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome. The proceedings of the Diocesan Assembly were presided over by Bishop Siluan, who presented the main directions of diocesan activity and oversaw the review of reports…
Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church has expressed deep sorrow and compassion following a tragic road accident in western Romania that claimed the lives of seven Greek citizens and left three others seriously injured. In a message released after the incident, the Patriarch of Romania conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and offered prayers…
The St Gregory the Theologian Parish in Schiedam/Rotterdam—the first Romanian Orthodox parish in the Netherlands—celebrated its patron saint and marked 45 years since its founding on Sunday. On this occasion, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Metropolitan Iosif of Western and Southern Europe, together with the parish priest, Ioan Dură, and Fr. Laurent Van Damme…
The liturgical events at the Patriarchal Cathedral of “Saints Constantine and Helen” in Bucharest, marking the general proclamation of the canonisation of 16 Romanian holy women, will take place according to the following schedule: On Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., at the Patriarchal Cathedral, at the conclusion of Vespers, the final memorial service…
Clergy and lay representatives of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand met on Saturday at the diocesan centre in Melbourne—at the Life-giving Spring Monastery—to review the diocese’s activity. The meeting was preceded by a Te Deum service marking the anniversary of the Union of the Romanian Principalities. The Diocesan Assembly was chaired…
His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Germany, Central and Northern Europe, attended the enthronement ceremony of the new Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Vienna, Josef Grünwidl, on Saturday. The installation took place at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in the Austrian capital, in the presence of around 3,000 people. The ordination and installation…
The Diocese of Southern Bessarabia donated a mobile hospital to Ukraine’s Odesa region, with the official handover ceremony taking place on Saturday, when Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia presented the vehicle to the regional administration. During the visit, the bishop was accompanied by Claudiu Tătaru, Romania’s Consul General in Odesa; Alexandrin Moiseev, a member of…
The feast of Saint Joseph the Merciful brought together Orthodox hierarchs from both sides of the Prut River on Monday in Iași. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Metropolitan Cathedral by Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina, together with Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia, Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia, and Assistant Bishop Nichifor of Botoșani…
Bishop Macarie of Northern Europe celebrated the Mystery of Holy Baptism on Sunday for a 22-year-old Norwegian man and his newborn daughter. The service took place at the Romanian Orthodox church on the island of Skjervøya, in northern Norway. The church is dedicated to Saints Leontius of Rădăuți, Jacob of Putna, and Pachomius of Gledin.…
Archbishop Anastasios of Albania was prayerfully remembered on Sunday at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana, one year after his passing. The memorial service was led by the Primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church, Archbishop John, together with members of the Holy Synod. Archbishop John stressed that the annual commemoration is a…
His Grace Bishop Nectarie of Ireland and Iceland joined the faithful of the Romanian Parish of Limerick, Ireland, for the community’s patronal feast on Sunday. The occasion also marked Bishop Nectarie’s first pastoral and liturgical visit to this parish. The festive day marked not only the meeting of the local community with its bishop but…
In observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, historian Dr George Enache presents a collection of short biographies documenting Romanian Orthodox bishops who supported and protected Jewish communities during the Holocaust, 1941–1944. Dr George Enache is a Professor at the Faculty of History, Philosophy, and Theology of the University of Lower Danube in Galați, Romania. Rooted…
Patriarch Daniel has issued a strong message calling for unity, social peace and the defence of human dignity as a representative of the Romanian Orthodox Church took part in ceremonies marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the commemoration of the anti-Jewish pogrom in Bucharest on Monday. The Patriarch underlined that authentic social harmony can only…