The working session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church was conducted in the “Patriarch Teoctist” Aula Magna of the Patriarchal Palace on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel. During the session, the Holy Synod approved the canonization of sixteen women with a holy life, including martyrs,…
This week’s photo selection offers a spiritual journey through the Orthodox world, capturing moments of faith and holy joy from the feasts of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (June 24) and the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (June 29). From hierarchal services and traditional processions to local customs and the faces of the…
Renowned American actor, director, and producer Mel Gibson, best known for his film The Passion of the Christ, arrived last Friday at the Serbian Hilandar Monastery on Mount Athos, where he was set to spend several days. The information and accompanying photo were shared on the Friends of Hilandar Monastery (Пријатељи манастира Хиландара) Facebook page,…
The Romanian Orthodox Church may soon add a new feast day to its liturgical calendar: the Sunday of the Athonite Saints. The proposed date for this commemoration is the third Sunday after Pentecost, following the Sunday of All Saints and the Sunday of the Romanian Saints—two feasts that already occur after Pentecost. The proposal was…
On Monday, June 30, 2025, His Grace Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, Secretary of the Holy Synod, received His Eminence Metropolitan Basilios of Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines (Patriarchate of Antioch), at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest. The Very Reverend Archimandrite Alexi Nassour accompanied His Eminence. Bishop Varlaam warmly welcomed the delegation and…
The Romanian Patriarchate will canonize 16 female saints in 2026, as part of the Commemorative Year of Holy Women in the Church Calendar, according to announcements made by Patriarch Daniel on Monday evening during the working session of the Metropolitan Synod of the Metropolis of Muntenia and Dobruja. A similar number of saints—16—were proclaimed during…
Saint John the Baptist remains a model for Christians, said His Grace Bishop Timotei of Spain and Portugal in his homily delivered at the Romanian Orthodox parish of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist in Lérida, Spain, which recently celebrated its patronal feast. In his sermon, His Grace spoke about how we can sanctify…
The Romanian Orthodox Parish “Saint Silouan the Athonite” in Concepción, Chile, was recently established under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Metropolis of the Americas. After preparing a place of worship, the local community is now awaiting the consecration of the church by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae. The Metropolis of the Americas has announced that the…
His Eminence Petru, Archbishop of Chișinău, Metropolitan of Bessarabia, and Exarch of the Territories, received His Excellency Dr. Turki bin Abdullah Zaid Al-Mahmoud, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Moldova, on Wednesday at the Metropolitan Residence in Chișinău. The meeting took place in an atmosphere of mutual respect, openness, and shared…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church conveyed a message of spiritual encouragement and theological reflection to the participants of the 31st edition of the Pavleia International Scientific Congress, dedicated to the Holy Apostle Paul. This year’s Pavleia Congress focuses on the theme “Apostle Paul and the First Ecumenical Council,” which marks the…
The Romanian community in Dublin, Ireland, has seen notable growth since the Saints George & Columba Parish acquired its own place of worship, noted the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Agerpres reports. The parish was founded in 2009 after it became clear that many Romanians lived there. Ten years later, the Romanian community in Dublin…
Father Ciprian Mihail Badin, the Romanian parish priest from Preston, in northern Great Britain, celebrated the first Romanian-language Divine Liturgy on the remote Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. The service took place on the Sunday of All Romanian Saints at Saint George’s Church, an Anglican parish in Douglas. Father Ciprian Mihail Badin will…
“Today is a call to deepen our awareness that the Church does not belong only to those present, but also to those who lived in the right faith, who struggled and were sanctified on the land of this nation,” said Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia on Sunday. “We owe to all the Romanian saints the inheritance…
Romanians worldwide are celebrating the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate through various events. One such event took place in mid-June in Lima, the capital of the Republic of Peru. The event, titled “Un Siglo de Patriarcado, un Legado de Fe. La Iglesia Ortodoxa Rumana a través de la Historia” (“A Century of Patriarchate, a Legacy…
Between June 16–24, His Eminence Hon Metropolitan Nifon, Archbishop of Targoviste, represented the Romanian Orthodox Church at the meeting of the Executive and Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) held in South Africa, accompanied by Fr. Michael Tița, Eparchial Vicar of the Archdiocese of Bucharest. As part of this trip, the Archbishop…
His Grace Bishop Ignatie of Huși said that technology is a blessing from God, comparing the action of the Holy Spirit to a system restart on a digital device. In a sermon delivered in Bacău on the Sunday of the Romanian Saints, Bishop Ignatie used a modern metaphor to help younger generations understand the work…
His Grace Bishop Sofronie of Oradea has urged families and community members to interact in real life and rely less on social media. In his sermon delivered on the Sunday of Romanian Saints at the Hidișelu de Sus II Parish, Bishop Sofronie explained that human relationships suffer if they are limited to interactions in the…
On the second Sunday after Pentecost, when all Romanian Saints are remembered, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church emphasized the spiritual unity of all Romanian saints—whether canonized or not—and explained why faith has endured so deeply among Romanians. First, the Patriarch noted that the Romanian people were Christianized gradually, together with their…
Patriarch Daniel conveyed a message of condolences and compassion upon hearing the news of the terrorist attack that took place in Damascus. His Beatitude emphasized that the attack undermines both religious and human values. As a result of the tragic event, 22 people lost their lives, and many other faithful, who were inside the Orthodox…
Romania’s Ambassador to the Holy See and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, His Excellency George Bologan, participated in the signing ceremony of a Letter of Intent regarding cooperation between the Fundeni Clinical Institute and the renowned “Bambino Gesù” Pediatric Hospital of the Vatican (OPBG). The document was signed by University Professor Anca Coliță, manager…