Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia celebrated on Monday the Divine Liturgy and the Great Blessing of Waters at the Metropolitan Chapel of St John the Theologian in Chisinau, as believers in the Republic of Moldova mostly follow the unrevised Julian calendar. The service was held together with an assembly of clergy from the diocesan centre, on…
“The peace the Lord offers is different from the peace we observe, or that is presented to us in various forms. It is not the apparent quiet of cemeteries, nor the fragile balance of powers that neutralise one another,” Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova said on Tuesday. The assistant bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest…
The Week (Octave) of Prayer for Christian Unity opened on Monday at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Bucharest. Representing the Patriarch of Romania, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești attended the event, accompanied by Archimandrite Augustin Coman, Patriarchal Adviser in the Department for Christian Relations, Interreligious Affairs and Romanian Communities Abroad of…
His Grace Bishop Sofronie of Oradea warned in an interview with Agerpres that drugs pose a major danger to young people because they promise “quick highs” but deliver “inner collapse and depression” in return. According to the bishop, narcotic substances are a substitute for authentic good, sought by people to replace the love and meaning…
Wednesday marks 35 years since the repose of Mother Alexandra, born Princess Ileana of Romania, daughter of King Ferdinand I “the Unifier” and Queen Marie. She was born at Cotroceni Palace on 23 December 1908 (sometimes given as 5 January 1909 under the revised calendar). Through her mother, she was related to the royal families…
On Tuesday, 20 January 2026, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania received Israel’s Ambassador to Bucharest, Lior Ben Dor, at the Patriarchal Residence. The ambassador was accompanied by Erez Golan, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Israel in Bucharest. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel expressed his joy at meeting the ambassador again and praised…
His Eminence Metropolitan Ioan of Banat on Sunday urged prayer for families and called for an end to violence against women. “I would raise a prayer to God to bless our country, Banat and the whole world,” the metropolitan said. “To you, my brothers, I have one request: let us pray for families, because in…
Israeli Ambassador to Romania Lior Ben Dor visited the “Metropolitan Nifon” Theological Seminary in Bucharest on Tuesday, expressing appreciation for the students’ solid theological education and for the institution’s broader formation in both the humanities and sciences. During the visit, the ambassador met Archimandrite Nectarie Șofelea, the seminary’s director, abbot of Radu Vodă Monastery, and…
The Baptism of the Lord was celebrated on Monday, according to the unrevised calendar, within the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Archbishop Teodosie of Tomis concelebrated alongside Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem. From the Holy Land, further details were provided for Basilica.ro by Archimandrite Ioan Meiu, representative of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Holy Places and Superior…
After nine years of sustained efforts, Romanians in South Carolina took part on Sunday in the consecration of the Church of St Gregory the Theologian in Easley, the only Romanian parish in this U.S. state. The consecration service was led by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of the Americas, together with…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said on Sunday at the historic chapel of St George at the Patriarchal Residence that gratitude is a state of humility and spiritual well-being. The Patriarch referred to the Gospel reading on the healing of the ten lepers, noting that only one returned to give thanks. “Immediately after he was healed,…
Venerable Evloghia Țârlea is, for the nuns of this monastery and for nuns throughout the Orthodox Church—especially within the Romanian Orthodox Church—“an example of service,” Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova said last Thursday as the relics of St Eulogia were exhumed at Samurcășești-Ciorogârla Monastery in Ilfov County. The saint, canonised last year by the Holy…
Following the publication of journalistic materials raising the issue of an alleged “illegal” teaching of the subject Religion, the Romanian Patriarchate makes the following clarifications: 1. According to the Constitution of Romania, “The State shall ensure the freedom of religious education, in accordance with the specific requirements of each religious cult. In public schools, religious…
“The purpose of my life is to know the Lord,” Bishop Siluan of Italy told students at the Rome Extension of the “Patriarch Justinian” Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest. Earlier this week, the hierarch held a spiritual discussion with them. His Grace stressed that the meaning of life cannot be reduced to diplomas and…
St Vladimir’s Seminary in New York has launched a fundraising campaign to publish, for the first time in English, the volume The Life and Teaching of Saint Gregory Palamas, written by Saint Dumitru Stăniloae. Those who wish to support the publication financially can donate through a fundraising platform hosted on the institute’s website. Funds raised…
Bishop Ignatie of Huși celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Sunday at “Saint Macarius the Great” Parish in Leeds, England, on the occasion of its patronal feast. The hierarch underlined that the duty of anyone who receives a blessing is to be grateful and thankful. A large number of faithful attended the parish celebration, alongside Nicoleta…
Romanian Orthodox Patriarch Daniel has offered a message of compassion and solidarity following one of Spain’s deadliest rail disasters in over a decade, a high-speed train collision near Adamuz in Córdoba province that killed at least 39 people and left scores more injured. The accident occurred on Sunday evening when a high-speed Iryo train from…
His Grace Bishop Timotei of Spain and Portugal issued a message of condolence on Monday for the victims of the railway accident in the province of Córdoba, in southern Spain. “We convey our compassion to the bereaved families, whom we stand beside, praying to our Lord Jesus Christ to grant rest in peace to those…
Mountain rescuers from Bușteni received on Sunday the Diploma and Medal marking the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate. The event took place at Caraiman Monastery, following the Divine Liturgy. Archimandrite David Petrovici, abbot of Caraiman Monastery, presented the diplomas to the rescuers and conveyed the blessing and congratulations of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel for their…
His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia met on Friday in Chișinău with a joint parliamentary delegation from Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The delegation from Bucharest included Laurențiu Plăeșu, Vice-President of the Romanian Senate, who led the group of lawmakers from the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, while representatives of the authorities in…