Romania is the European Union country with the largest number of citizens living outside its borders. More than 3 million Romanians reside legally in EU member states, according to Eurostat data.
The real number is higher, however, given that not all Romanians in the diaspora appear in official statistics, especially those who have acquired citizenship in their countries of residence.
In recent years, a significant number of Romanians have left countries such as Spain and Italy—affected by rising prices and economic instability—choosing Germany or the United Kingdom instead.
“Over the past decade, the number of Romanians who have moved to Germany has doubled, rising from 450,000 to more than 900,000,” according to data from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office cited by Pro TV.
A second home for Romanians abroad
A relevant example is the Romanian parish in Bayreuth, near Nuremberg, where Father Radu Tăut serves. The community in the Bayreuth–Hof region numbers more than 5,000 Romanians and, for a long time, lacked a permanent priest.
“They truly find in the Church a second home. Unfortunately, many Romanians in Germany do not speak German, and during the workweek, when we are away at work, it is quite difficult to talk to someone. On Sundays, in church, they find a moment to unburden themselves and to reconnect with something from home,” Father Radu Tăut told Pro TV.
To serve the community, the priest persuaded the local Catholic parish to rent its church, providing Romanian Orthodox faithful with a place of worship.
The Church also plays a vital role in preserving the Romanian language and identity among children born or raised in the diaspora. Andreea Tăut, the priest’s wife in the Bayreuth community, explained:
“We try to organise activities similar to those I experienced as a child, so that those here—even if many of them have never been to Romania and struggle to speak Romanian—make greater efforts to speak Romanian once they start coming to church.”
More than 1,100 Romanian parishes in the EU
To meet the needs of a continuously growing diaspora, the Romanian Orthodox Church has developed an extensive ecclesiastical structure across Europe.
According to data compiled from Romanian dioceses within the EU, more than 1,100 parishes, non-parochial churches, and missions are currently operating. These are organised within several dioceses in the diaspora, including:
- Archdiocese of Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg: 226 communities
- Archdiocese of Western Europe (France, Belgium, the Netherlands): 219 communities
- Diocese of Italy: 465 communities
- Diocese of Spain and Portugal: 152 communities
- Diocese of Northern Europe: 75 communities
- Diocese of Hungary: 41 communities
- Diocese of Ireland and Iceland (established in 2024): 15 communities
Through this extensive network, the Church provides not only religious services but also social, educational, and identity support, becoming for millions of Romanians abroad a source of stability and continuity—“a second home,” far from their country of origin.
To stay connected with the life of the Romanian diaspora, follow our website section dedicated to Romanians living abroad.
Photo: Basilica.ro / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
