On Saturday, January 11, His Grace Bishop Nectarie Petre will be enthroned as the first Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Ireland and Iceland. The event will take place at the Saint Columba Church of the Dublin II Parish. The enthronement will occur after the Divine Liturgy. Many hierarchs are expected to attend, including His Eminence Metropolitan…
On New Year’s Day, during the proclamation of the Solemn Year of the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate and the Commemorative Year of Romanian Orthodox Spiritual Fathers and Confessors of the 20th Century, a new icon titled “The Assembly of Romanian Saints” was presented, marking this jubilee year. The artwork, measuring 90 x 60 cm,…
A 2023 report on incidents targeting religiously significant sites in Greece shows an increase in attacks compared to previous years. The report, published on the last day of 2024 by the General Secretariat for Religious Affairs under the Greek Ministry of Education, details cases involving not only places of worship but also other religious buildings…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel has donated a sacred garment that covered the relics of Saint Demetrius the New to the Parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and Saint Spyridon, Bishop of Trimythous in Nottingham, United Kingdom. The vestment was delivered to the newly established Archdiocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by Rasophore Damian…
Romania has earned recognition as one of the best travel destinations for 2025, according to American journalists. The country was featured in Vogue’s Top 10 Travel Destinations list, published at the end of last year. Additionally, National Geographic included Romania among the Top 25 Must-Visit Destinations for this year. Romania in Vogue’s Top 10 Romania…
The Orthodox Calendar remains one of the most popular topics searched by Romanians on Google in 2024, but also at the beginning of the New Year 2025. In three months of the previous year, the term Orthodox Calendar appeared among the top 10 most searched topics. According to an analysis published by Panorama, in January…
On Monday, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel officiated the Great Blessing of Waters service alongside Bishop Qais of Erzurum from the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East and Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești. From the entrance to the Patriarchal Residence, His Beatitude addressed the faithful, speaking about the Lord’s Baptism and the sanctifying power…
His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia delivered a video message to the faithful in the Republic of Moldova, who celebrate the Nativity of the Lord according to the unrevised calendar. “The Nativity of the Infant Christ reminds us that God came into the world to dispel the darkness of sin and guide us on the…
On New Year’s Eve, when joy often expresses itself in noisy celebrations, the Roman Archdiocesan Cathedral emphasized the importance of silence. “It is crucial to embrace silence and live in the present, fully aware of God’s presence in our lives,” said Archbishop Ioachim. “God is an eternal present. When we enter the moment suspended between…
“Let us offer those in need a kind word, material aid, or a prayer, fulfilling the words of the Savior: ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me,’” urged Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia in his pastoral letter for the celebration of the Nativity of…
At the start of 2025, Archbishop Calinic of Suceava and Rădăuți emphasized a spiritual perspective on New Year’s celebrations, stating, “Our participation in New Year’s Eve should follow different coordinates and expectations than the temporary ones.” These guiding principles, he noted, are provided by Saint Paul: “Rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be…
In his address on New Year’s day at the Patriarchal Cathedral which also marked the inauguration of the Solemn and Commemorative Year 2025 in the Romanian Patriarchate, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel emphasized the dual role of the Patriarchate – not only as an administrative entity but as a beacon of faith and national identity. The…
Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada emphasized that we have entered a year with significant historical moments for Romanian and universal Orthodoxy. Three of these moments directly concern the Romanian Orthodox Church, while the fourth pertains to the Orthodox Church as a whole. His Grace referred to the celebration of the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate…
In his pastoral letter for Christmas, which is celebrated in the Metropolis of Bessarabia on January 7 according to the unrevised Julian calendar, Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia urged believers to embody God’s compassionate love for those in suffering. “Let us become the hands of God’s merciful love for our neighbors in distress, and like…
Hundreds of faithful entered 2025 in prayer, gathering at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest to join in the thanksgiving service led by His Grace Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova. The Assistant Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest shared the message of Patriarch Daniel, who reminded attendees that “the Church encourages us to approach each moment…
On New Year’s Eve, the Patriarch of Romania delivered a message reminding Christians of their calling to sanctify the place and time on earth as preparation for entering the Kingdom of Heaven. The Patriarch’s message was read by Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova during the service held Tuesday night at the Patriarchal Cathedral. In his…
Recently canonized by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Venerable Martyr Gerasimus was celebrated for the first time last week at Tismana Monastery in Gorj County, alongside Saint Nicodemus, the founder of the monastic settlement. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Irineu of Oltenia, who highlighted the similarities between…
In 2024, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church issued several significant resolutions that shaped the spiritual and organizational life of Romanian Orthodox communities both in the country and abroad. Retrospective Overview The Synod’s decisions were made gradually, responding to the evolving needs of the faithful. A notable example was the elevation of the…
Last week, the Metropolis of Bessarabia and the Romanian Embassy in the Republic of Moldova made a donation of spiritual and Romanian literature books to Penitentiary No. 9 – Pruncul in Chișinău. A congratulatory and blessing message from Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia was conveyed by Hieromonk Gurie Dumbrava, who expressed gratitude to the staff of…
This Christmas brought a remarkable gift to Romanians in Faenza, Italy: the Roman Catholic Diocese of Faenza-Modigliana donated the historic San Rocco Church to the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy for use by the local Romanian parish. The donation agreement was signed on December 18 by His Grace Bishop Siluan of Italy and Monsignor Mario…