“Selfishness and rapacity – the pathological tendency to accumulate, are what disfigure us and transform us into brutes, into characters who limit themselves only to the biological dimension of our lives, ignoring the spiritual one,” said Bishop Ignatie of Hușilor on Sunday, reflecting on the Parable of the Rich Man whose land produced abundantly. The…
Last week, “Nicolae Bălcescu” High School in Gyula, the only school serving the children of Romania’s community in Hungary, celebrated its 75th anniversary. The ceremony, held in the school’s festive hall, gathered students, teachers, alumni, and officials. His Grace Bishop Siluan of Hungary remarked: “The way students assimilate essential knowledge for their personal and professional…
“Each of us is a priest of love for our neighbor, the outstretched hands of the Savior Jesus Christ,” His Eminence Archishop Casian of Lower Danube said at the beginning of the Nativity Fast. “The Holy Church sends us now, at the beginning of the fasting season, a sweet, pastoral word, just as bees go…
On Sunday, Archbishop-elect Atanasie celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the “Holy Great Martyr Menas” Parish in Leicester, United Kingdom, with the blessing of Metropolitan Iosif of Western and Southern Europe. The wealth of grace In his sermon, the Archbishop-elect of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland reflected on the Parable of…
On Sunday, Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova reminded the faithful at the Patriarchal Cathedral that acts of kindness toward others are ultimately directed toward God. “Every good deed done for others is offered to God. When we help someone in need, we are, in fact, helping God,” the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest…
His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia and Adrian Efros, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, signed a collaboration protocol last Friday to support religious activities. The two institutions committed to promoting moral-spiritual education and providing religious assistance to the employees of the ministry’s subordinate structures, as stated on the official website…
In a pastoral letter issued on the first Sunday of the Nativity Fast, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church calls on monasteries and parishes to organize collections for those in need. “Although throughout 2024 the Church, through its clergy and lay faithful, has endeavored to bring more comfort and relief to those who…
On Friday, November 15, 2024, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania received His Excellency Mr. Gudsi Osmanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Bucharest, during an introductory visit at the Patriarchal Residence. At the beginning of the meeting, Patriarch Daniel extended a warm welcome to the ambassador and commended His Excellency’s extensive diplomatic and…
The Polish Orthodox Church marked its centennial anniversary of autocephaly on Wednesday. Following World War I, Orthodox Christians in Poland worked diligently to gain independence for their Church from the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1922, a synod was convened to proclaim the Polish Orthodox Church’s autocephaly, an initiative officially recognized by Ecumenical Patriarch Gregory VII…
American addiction treatment specialist Floyd Frantz came to Romania as a missionary with the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) from the USA. He then co-founded the National Anti-Drug Program of the Romanian Orthodox Church. In November 2000, he initiated in Cluj-Napoca the St. Dimitrie addiction treatment program within the Christian Medical Philanthropic Association “Christiana”, realized…
On Monday, Archbishop Varsanufie celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the “All Saints” Chapel in Râmnicu Vâlcea, highlighting the life and profound conviction of Saint Menas the Great Martyr. The archbishop shared that Saint Menas “firmly believed that without death, there is no resurrection.” “Saint Menas was convinced that without struggle, there are no crowns; without…
The Romanian Orthodox community in Prague now has a new place of worship. On Sunday, Archbishop Michael of Prague and the Czech Lands, together with Bishop Siluan, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Hungary, officiated a special blessing ceremony and Divine Liturgy. In his remarks, Archbishop Michael underscored the significance of the Romanian community’s role in…
On Monday evening, the General Assembly of the Romanian Patriarchate’s Filantropia Federation gathered in Chișinău and was marked by a Te Deum service at the chapel of the Eparchial Center. Key attendees included Father Ciprian Ioniță, Patriarchal Advisor and President of the Filantropia Federation; clergy from the Metropolis of Bessarabia; social advisors from various dioceses…
Metropolitan Teofan of Moldova and Bukovina blessed the “Maximilian” Orthodox Addiction Recovery Center, inaugurated last Monday in Iași, Romania, as a ministry of the city’s “St. Basil the Great” Parish. It was inspired by the tragic story of a young addict. The project has been realised with the support of the Archdiocese of Iași, in…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel sent a heartfelt message to the Romanian Orthodox community in Montreal, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Callinicus of Cernica. In his message, Patriarch Daniel highlighted the cathedral’s pivotal role in preserving and promoting the Orthodox faith and Romanian identity…
On Sunday, the Romanian Orthodox Parish of the “Dormition of the Mother of God” in Zaragoza celebrated its 20th anniversary. His Grace Bishop Timotei of Spain and Portugal celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the parish church, where he delivered a sermon on the Parable of the Good Samaritan, emphasizing that “every person is our neighbour.”…
The Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Western and Southern Europe (MOREOM) marked its 75th anniversary alongside the patronal feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael Cathedral in Paris. Events began last Thursday with a pilgrimage to the Paris cathedral, bringing the relic of Saint Nicholas from “St. George-New” Church in Bucharest. The cathedral patronal feast…
On Friday, November 8, His Grace Bishop Siluan of Italy led the assembly of hierarchs in a service celebrating the patronal feast of the Romanian Orthodox Cathedral of “Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael” in Paris. During the sermon, he emphasized the importance of our relationship with God’s unseen creation. “Today we celebrate God’s unseen servants,…
The 100th anniversary of the Romanian Orthodox Church’s elevation to the patriarchal rank was a key topic at the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in Benelux (CEOB), held Wednesday, November 6, at the Ambiorix Center in Brussels. Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium chaired the meeting, which included hierarchs from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Moscow Patriarchate, the…
Elder Parthenios Agiopavlitis, the abbot of the Athonite Monastery of Saint Paul, recently raised concerns over the dangers that mobile phones and the internet pose to monastic life. Reflecting on nearly 50 years as abbot, Elder Parthenios recounted incidents in which monks, who had left the world for a life devoted to God, fell prey…