On Wednesday , March 5, 2025, the assistant bishop to the Bucharest Archdiocese Timotei of Prahova read the third part of the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete during the Great Compline officiated at the Patriarchal Cathedral. Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
On Wednesday, His Grace Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, Secretary of the Holy Synod, welcomed Her Excellency Tamar Beruchashvili, Ambassador of Georgia to Romania, at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest. Bishop Varlaam extended a warm welcome to the ambassador, emphasizing the strong and long-standing friendship between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Georgian Orthodox…
March 9 marks both the feast day of the Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste and the National Day of Commemoration for Anti-Communist Political Prisoners from the period 1944–1989. On this day, we especially remember the Romanian freedom fighters who opposed the totalitarian communist regime, endured imprisonment in labour camps and prisons and bore witness to…
The Archdiocese of Iași plans to commence construction work on the Saint Emilia Maternal Center this spring. Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina made the announcement in a video message marking the start of the Month for Life 2025 and was later confirmed by Pro Vita Iași in a recent Facebook post. A Shelter for…
On the second evening of Great Lent, His Grace Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie of Sinaia officiated the Great Compline with the Great Canon at the Patriarchal Cathedral, describing it as “the dialogue of the sinful man with his own conscience before God.” Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie continued this penitential canon “is not the repentance of…
Wednesday marks 115 years since the birth of the late Patriarch Iustin Moisescu, who led the Romanian Orthodox Church as its fourth Patriarch. Born on March 5, 1910, in Cândești, then part of Muscel County (now Argeș County), he lost his father at a young age in the War of Reunification. Academic Excellence and Theological…
On Wednesday, His Grace Bishop Siluan of Italy marks his 55th birthday. Born on March 5, 1970, in Gura Râului, Sibiu County, he was the fourth of six children in a priest’s family. Theological Studies and Early Ministry Between 1989 and 1993, he studied at the Andrei Șaguna Faculty of Theology in Sibiu, followed by…
On Tuesday morning, His Grace Assistant Bishop Nectarie of Bogdania met with Igor Grosu, the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, for discussions centered on the role of the Church in society and its collaboration with state institutions. A Meeting of Cooperation “The meeting took place in an atmosphere of openness and…
“Every cell, every embryo carries within itself human dignity and the fundamental right to life,” declared Archbishop Ioachim of Roman and Bacău at the beginning of the Month for Life. “God is God because He brings into existence something that has never existed before. Out of His infinite love, He has also shared with humanity…
On Saturday, Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia honored the memory of the heroes and martyrs of the Dniester War at the Heroes’ Fountain near the village of Varnița, Anenii Noi district. The event marked 33 years since the conflict. Representatives from the police and the National Army, cultural figures, educators, students, and families of those…
On Monday evening, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești praised the Great Canon and its author, Saint Andrew of Crete, emphasizing the importance of both its message and regular recitation. After reading the first part of the Great Canon at the Patriarchal Cathedral, His Grace cited Archimandrite Teofil Părăian of Sâmbăta de Sus, who lamented…
“The one who fasts breaks the infernal cycle of desire and pleasure, hunger and satiety, redirecting their longing toward contemplating heavenly realities. This helps them walk in the renewal of life (Romans 6:4), living as a child of the resurrection (Luke 20:36),” Archbishop Irineu of Alba Iulia emphasized in a message on Clean Monday at…
On Tuesday, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrates 35 years since his episcopal ordination. He was ordained as an Assistant Bishop of the Archdiocese of Timișoara at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Timișoara on March 4, 1990, shortly after the fall of communism. Early Life and Education Born in Dobrești, Timiș County,…
“Great Lent is considered a spiritual spring, a renewal of the soul, which is why it coincides with the calendar spring,” said Patriarch Daniel of Romania on Clean Monday evening during the first service dedicated to the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete. His Beatitude emphasized that the significance of fasting lies in spiritual…
On Sunday, His Grace Bishop Ignatie of Huși officiated the Forgiveness Vespers at the diocesan Cathedral in Huși, once again urging the faithful to observe a media fast during Lent. “Fasting is more than just abstaining from food—it is a healing process from our pathological dependencies, particularly our addiction to digital media,” said the bishop.…
His Grace Atanasie, the Archbishop-elect of the Archdiocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, officially commenced his episcopal ministry with a visit to the Romanian Orthodox Parish of Saint John Cassian in Oxford, where he presided over a diaconal ordination and the investment of a spiritual director. The parish celebrated its patronal feast on Sunday,…
“It is clear to all of us that the world faces many problems, and we hope to overcome them with the help of prayer and fasting,” emphasized Metropolitan Andrei of Cluj, Maramureș, and Sălaj in his message at the beginning of Great Lent. His Eminence Metropolitan Andrei noted that this period offers an excellent opportunity…
Highlights from the week leading up to Lent, a transition time marked by tradition, prayer and reflection, captured through the camera lens and included in our photo feature story for the week of 24 February-2 March 2025. Last week’s most-liked Instagram post: Vezi această postare pe Instagram O postare distribuită de Basilica.ro (@basilica.ro)…
The National Bank of Romania (BNR) launched a commemorative gold coin on Monday to mark the 375th anniversary of the birth of Saint Anthimos the Iberian, an emblematic cultural personality of Georgian origin who served as Metropolitan of Wallachia between 1708 and 1716. Coin Design and Features The obverse of the coin features a detailed…
“With a kind and forgiving heart that does not hold on to resentment, we can begin Great Lent—a journey alongside our Savior Jesus Christ on the path of His Passion,” explains Metropolitan Serafim of Germany, Central, and Northern Europe in his pastoral letter at the start of Great Lent 2025. In his Lenten pastoral letter,…