communism

125 years after his birth, Patriarch Justinian remembered for wisely guiding Church under communism

Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești on Sunday highlighted the decisive role of Patriarch Justinian in the history of Romanian Orthodoxy, saying he “was called by God to guide the ship of the Church in its most turbulent times.” Bishop Varlaam delivered the remarks during a memorial service marking 125 years since the birth of…

Feb 23, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate in Romania marks 35 years since reestablishment at Sighet symposium

On Tuesday, the Sighet Memorial hosted the symposium celebrating 35 years of the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate in Romania. The event was preceded by the Divine Liturgy, celebrated by Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, the delegate of the Patriarch of Romania, together with priests from the two deaneries of the vicariate. At the end of…

Jun 18, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

President of Romania bestows order of merit on priest who brought down Lenin statue

The President of Romania bestowed on Wednesday the National Order of Merit upon a priest who reposed earlier this month and who was instrumental in the fight for Romanian democracy in the early 1990s. Fr. Sorin Grecu held a hunger strike before the statue of Lenin that once stood on Bucharest’s Free Press Square, which…

Jan 22, 2022Ștefana Totorcea

15th anniversary of Fr Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa’s blessed repose

Sunday marks 15 years from Fr Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa’s blessed repose into the Lord. He was one of the most prominent opponents of communism and was imprisoned for more than 20 years on political grounds. He was among the prisoners of the infamous Pitești Experimental Prison. “I think many times, due to terror and fear, our…

Nov 21, 2021Ștefana Totorcea

Synod of Cluj Metropolis approves arguments for Fr Liviu Galaction Munteanu’s canonization

The hierarchs of the Metropolis of Cluj, Maramureș and Sălaj met last week at the metropolitan residence in Cluj-Napoca. The agenda included the canonization file of Professor Rev. Liviu Galaction Munteanu, a martyr of the communist prisons. The hierarchs approved the local arguments for his canonization in 2025. His Eminence Metropolitan Andrei chaired the meeting…

Oct 4, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

Museum of Communist Terror will help generations who lived during communism to overcome trauma, Romanian CultMin says

Last week, the Minister of Culture, Bogdan Gheorghiu, highlighted the importance of the Museum of Communist Terror for those who survived the communist period, but also for today’s young people. “This museum will help the generations that lived in communism to overcome the collective trauma through cultural expressions that can offer the feeling of resolution,…

Dec 8, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel on Feast of St Demetrios the New: God works delicately through His Saints, but “cannot be mocked”!

During his sermon on Tuesday, Patriarch Daniel referred to two aspects of God’s presence and work in the world through Saint Demetrios the New: on the one hand, the delicacy and the miraculous help offered to the believers, on the other hand, the ‘bitter medicine’ administered to people for correction. The Patriarch of Romania highlighted…

Oct 28, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel awards diplomas to media personalities, journalists who promoted Orthodox confessors during communism

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel on Wednesday awarded several famous media personalities and Romanian journalists with the Patriarchate’s 2017 Commemorative Diploma and Medal dedicated to Patriarch Justinian Marina and the defenders of Orthodoxy during communism. At the end of the awarding ceremony, Patriarch Daniel addressed thanks to those present at the Europa Christiana Hall of the…

Jan 19, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Rastislav of Czech Lands and Slovakia in interview with Basilica.ro: ‘Many become recluses of the cyberspace. We can reach them only using technology’

His Beatitude Metropolitan Rastislav of the Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church offered his first interview with the Basilica News Agency, shortly after his first visit to Romania on the Feast of St Demetrius the New 2017. His Beatitude spoke about the Church he leads and addressed the challenges that Christians are facing in modern society.…

Jan 12, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

AFP: How churches were lifted to safety in communist Bucharest

BUCHAREST (AFP) – A bit bruised but still standing, old Orthodox churches can be found around Bucharest, having escaped the frenzied demolition of the Romanian capital in the 1980s ordered by ex-communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. At least 10 jewels of Romania’s religious heritage from the 16th to 19th centuries survived due to an engineering tour de force:…

Nov 11, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu

International Congress of Theology: The life of Orthodox Churches during communism – Persecution, resistance, and witness

Photo Credit: Robert Nicolae/Basilica.ro

Nov 7, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu