His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada and Her Excellency Oana Gherghe, Romania’s Consul General in Toronto, took part last week in the “Romanian Village” Festival organized by the Romanian Orthodox parish in Windsor, Ontario. The festival is part of the “Carousel of Nations” – a multicultural celebration in Windsor bringing together various ethnic communities…
His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia received a visit on Wednesday from Her Excellency Dominique Waag, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to the Republic of Moldova. The meeting marked the first official dialogue between the two institutions, intending to strengthen and develop future cooperation in spiritual, social, and cultural areas. Strengthening Cooperation…
Relics of Saint Nicholas and Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu were transferred on Tuesday from the “New St. George” Church in Bucharest to the diocesan Cathedral in Gyula, Hungary. The holy relics will be venerated during a pilgrimage in several Romanian Orthodox parishes in Vienna and the surrounding regions. The right hand of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker…
The Local Synods of the Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina and the Metropolis of Bessarabia convened jointly on Thursday in Iași, Romania. During the session, the hierarchs approved proposals for the canonization of five women recognized for their saintly lives, originating from both banks of the Prut River. The Synod of the Metropolis of Moldavia…
The Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in Benelux held its 30th meeting on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Orthodox Archdiocese in Brussels, under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. During the meeting, the bishops agreed to establish a Joint Commission for Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church in Belgium. The initiative…
The local canonization of Saints Paisius and Cleopas will take place on August 7 at Sihăstria Monastery, Neamț County, during a series of festivities dedicated to local saints. The events will begin on August 5 with the commemoration of Saint John Jacob of Neamț. The relics of the two venerable elders were exhumed in late…
On Wednesday, the plenary session of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies passed a bill that clarifies the prohibition against the unauthorised exercise of clerical and monastic functions and ensures the exclusive right of religious denominations over modes of veneration for canonised, beatified, sanctified individuals, or those recognised as righteous or symbolic identity figures. According to Agerpres,…
“Holiness, indeed, is the impossible. It is the impossible that God demands of man,” Protosyncellus Arsenie Irimiea, the abbot of Darvari Skete Monastery in Bucharest, told the faithful on the Sunday of All Saints. Yet, most often, we “offer God mere theatre,” he cautioned. In this regard, the abbot recalled that God tells the Israelites…
Young members of the Nepsis movement from France, Switzerland, and Canada gathered in Paris for their annual congress themed “The Presence of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives.” The event was held over Pentecost weekend and began with a warm welcome at the Cathedral of the Holy Archangels in Paris. The congress opened with the…
In 2024, the Metropolis of Bessarabia tackled domestic violence as part of its social mission, as underscored in the activity report, which highlighted the Church’s growing involvement in domestic violence prevention in the Republic of Moldova. This engagement began with the organization of the conference “Family Under the Protection of Faith: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue on Domestic Violence”, which…
On Tuesday, the Sighet Memorial hosted the symposium celebrating 35 years of the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate in Romania. The event was preceded by the Divine Liturgy, celebrated by Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, the delegate of the Patriarch of Romania, together with priests from the two deaneries of the vicariate. At the end of…
In response to the recent escalation of domestic violence in Romanian society and the shocking crimes committed in Cosmopolis (Ilfov County) and Lipănești (Prahova County), the Romanian Patriarchate expresses deep concern regarding these phenomena, which gravely affect human dignity and the unity of families. Any manifestation of violence is incompatible with Christian teaching, and all…
His Eminence Archbishop Atanasie of Great Britain and Northern Ireland delivered a pastoral message at the beginning of the Apostles’ Fast, emphasising that this liturgical season is a natural continuation of Pentecost. “If the Day of Pentecost marks the foundation of the Church, then this liturgical period calls us to live out the life of…
The Very Reverend Archimandrite Ephraim Koutsou, Abbot of the Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, will bring the honourable skull of Saint John Chrysostom to Bucharest in July. This privileged occasion will allow people to venerate the relic of Saint John Chrysostom in Bucharest. Summer feast of Saint Demetrius This event will…
On the occasion of the King’s Birthday celebration in the United Kingdom, a new photo album titled “The Royal Paths of Transylvania” was launched in Bucharest, highlighting King Charles III’s deep connection with Romania. The album was presented on Saturday during the opening ceremony of an exhibition of the same name, which was hosted at…
The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova and the Metropolis of Bessarabia have agreed to protect a historic monument in Dubăsarii Vechi. The partnership concerns the Church of “Archangel Michael” and the necropolis of the Donici and Macri families in Dubăsarii Vechi, both of which are listed in the official Register of Cultural Heritage of…
Bishop Antonie of Bălți officiated a memorial service on Thursday in honor of the victims of Stalinist deportations. The commemorative event took place at a symbolic location in the city of Bălți – the train station from which thousands of people were deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan. Dozens of candles were lit near the Monument…
His Grace Bishop Timotei of Spain and Portugal celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Sunday at the “Sunday of All Saints” Parish in Bilbao, Spain. The community marked its patronal feast and the 20th anniversary of its founding. Among those attending was Bianca Miruna Gavriliță, Romania’s Consul General in Bilbao. In his homily, the bishop emphasized…
“In the context of the recent acts of war unfolding in the Holy Land, we inform you that our Romanian settlements in the Holy Land — the Representation in Jerusalem and the Romanian Settlement in the biblical city of Jericho — are safe,” announced Archimandrite Teofil Anăstăsoaie, the representative of the Romanian Patriarchate in the…
The four hierarchs of the Metropolis of Bessarabia met on Monday in Chișinău for a working session under the chairmanship of His Eminence Metropolitan Petru. The decisions made concern the celebration of the Centennial of the Metropolis of Bessarabia, theological education in the Republic of Moldova, canonizations, and ecclesiastical distinctions. The Synod decided to organize…