The Holy Community of Mount Athos has officially announced new measures regarding the access of pilgrims, which will come into effect from January 1, 2025. The decision was made due to the increasing number of visitors and to not disrupt monastic life and the prayer schedule. According to the new regulations, the maximum number of…
„The feast day of Saint Stephen the Archdeacon is also the patronal day of the deacons and archdeacons of our Church,” reminded His Grace Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, secretary of the Holy Synod, at the end of the Divine Liturgy celebrated on Friday at the Patriarchal Cathedral. „Therefore, today at the Divine Liturgy,…
„Among people, the one who helped Baby Jesus the most was Righteous Joseph,” said Patriarch Daniel on Sunday. „Joseph was not the father of the Baby, who is born eternally from the Father without a mother, as God, and was born on earth from a mother without a father, as Man. But Joseph is the…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel presided over the festal Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral on Wednesday, marking the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, and explained that “by coming into the world, Jesus sanctifies the world as a gift from God to humanity.” His Beatitude referred to the Saviour’s humble obedience to God the…
On Tuesday, His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Basarabia attended the presidential inauguration of Her Excellency Maia Sandu as President of the Republic of Moldova. The event took place at the Palace of the Republic in Chișinău during a joint session of the Parliament and the Constitutional Court, in the presence of over 500 guests. Metropolitan…
In his Christmas encyclical, Bishop Mihail of Australia and New Zealand explains that the fast we conclude on the feast of the Nativity of our Lord allows us to receive the Infant Jesus, making Him a dwelling place in our hearts and souls. “Sanctifying our soul and body through repentance, through reading the Holy Scriptures,…
In the Christmas Pastoral Letter, His Grace Bishop Iustin of Maramureș and Sătmar underscores the importance of making a definitive decision between living in the light through faith and love and in the darkness through lawlessness and the rejection of Christ in the context of the modern world, which is characterised by conflicts, divisions, and…
“Neither the Herods nor the Pilates of this world can absolutely change the course of human history. For the true destiny of the world is not written in the palaces of power, but in people’s hearts,” conveyed His Grace Bishop Macarie of Northern Europe in his Christmas encyclical. “In the depths of each heart lies…
The Christmas Pastoral Letter of His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim of Germany, Central and Northern Europe, briefly presents the life of eight of the sixteen newly canonized Romanian Saints – those His Eminence knew. “Let us give glory to the good God who has raised so many saints from our people who pray for us, interceding…
Today, man sees even the atom core and a part of the boundless outer space, but not all see God, His Eminence Metropolitan Ioan of Banat stressed in this year’s Christmas pastoral letter. For over two millennia, the Church has been addressing all people, inviting them to fill their hearts with the love of Christ.…
On Christmas Eve, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel received the servants and chanters of the Patriarchal Cathedral at the Patriarchal Residence, who had announced the birth of Lord Jesus Christ. On this occasion, His Beatitude explained that the Saviour Christ heals and forgives sins through humble obedience. The Humility of Divine Omnipotence “This feast of the…
His Grace Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova officiated a memorial service at the Patriarchal Cathedral on Sunday to commemorate the heroes of the December 1989 Revolution. “Between 1948 and 1989, official media no longer broadcast carols, nor was there any talk of God. The totalitarian regime established in 1948 banned the broadcasting of carols, church…
In his Christmas pastoral letter, Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas has urged the faithful not to fear crises, disturbances, and wars but to lift their hearts and place all their hope in God’s help. According to the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of the Americas, the joy of the announcement of the miracle in Bethlehem, of the…
In his annual Christmas video message, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel emphasized the spirit of “humble and generous love, peace, and joy” that accompanies the celebration of Christ’s Nativity. Patriarch Daniel highlighted the biblical narrative where angels announced the birth of Jesus with the proclamation, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill…
In his Christmas encyclical, His Grace Bishop Ignatie of Huși emphasized that the commandment to love one’s enemies is the ultimate test of genuine communion with God. His message highlighted the lack of love in today’s society and the transformative power of Christ’s love. A World Lacking Love At the start of his pastoral letter,…
Observing the accelerated increase in recent years of people affected by both classic diseases and multiple addictions, the Romanian Orthodox Church dedicated the year now concluding to the pastoral care and assistance of the sick. The declaration of the “Solemn Year of Pastoral Care and Assistance of the Sick” and the “Commemorative Year of all…
Archaeologists in Frankfurt unearthed an object dating from 230-270 AD, approximately 50 years older than the first known Christian artifacts in the region. Archaeologists say this Christian evidence was found during excavations of a Roman grave in Germany from the 3rd century. A Discovery That Could Change History In Frankfurt, an amulet approximately 1,800 years…
The Journal of Joy, the seminal work by Father Nicolae Steinhardt, has been released in a new English edition by St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press in New York. The translation was done by Paul Boboc, with revisions by Peter Andronache. Contributors to the revisions and explanatory notes include Bogdan G. Bucur, Nicolae Drăgușin, Brenda Mikitish, and…
Children from the Romanian Orthodox Parish of Valletta held a carol concert on Tuesday at the Russian Chapel of the San Anton Presidential Palace in Malta in the presence of the President of Malta and her husband, Dr Anthony Spiteri Debono. “Although we come from different countries and cultures, we preserve and respect the same…
A unique portrait of Constantine XI Paleologos, the last Byzantine emperor, was recently discovered in the Church of the Monastery of the Holy Archangels in the Aegion region of Greece. According to archaeologists, the painting was created during the Byzantine emperor’s lifetime. The Greek Ministry of Culture announced that archaeologist Anastasia Koumousi uncovered the portrait…