coronavirus

Romanian faithful to jointly pray from their homes daily at noon

The Chancellery of the Holy Synod has announced a new program of prayer in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, beginning March 25, on the feast of the Annunciation, calling upon all faithful to join one another in common prayer daily at noon, each from his own home, while church and monastery bells ring out…

Mar 25, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Archbishop of Athens: Let’s turn our homes into churches

On the day of the Third Salutations to the Theotokos, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens asked the faithful to turn every house into a church. The Archbishop, stating that the right decisions have been made by the Hierarchy and the State, urged again the faithful to abide by the self-protection measures to prevent the spread of…

Mar 23, 2020Gheorghe Anghel

New measures regarding church services and social activities

Based on the Military Ordinance no. 1 of March 17, 2020, and the Military Ordinance 2 of March 21, 2020, which established successive measures to limit the freedom of movement and assembly of citizens, which also affects the public religious life of the believers, following the consultation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs on March…

Mar 23, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Archim. Zacharias Zacharou: Pandemic as going out in the Desert. Christ is with us there by calling upon His Name

Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou from “St John the Baptist” Monastery in Essex, Great Britain, has sent spiritual advice to the faithful who are panicked by the current coronavirus epidemic. He gives the answer to the question how to face a possible interruption of the celebration of the Divine Liturgy? We should use this time for spiritual…

Mar 20, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Romanian Patriarchate calls for faith, temperance, and solidarity in face of coronavirus

Given Romania’s state of emergency due to the new coronavirus epidemic, the Romanian Patriarchate calls for responsibility, temperance and solidarity. The Romanian Patriarchate urges all priests of the Romanian Orthodox Church to implement with realism, lucidity and confidence the measures imposed by the state authorities, which temporarily affect the Church’s liturgical life. These regulations aim…

Mar 20, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Now is the time of personal and social responsibility, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew says

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew addressed a pastoral message on Wednesday “as a result of the global threat posed by the pandemic of the new coronavirus”, in which he stressed that “now is the time of personal and social responsibility”, a real opportunity to change for the better, in the direction of love and solidarity. His Holiness…

Mar 19, 2020Gheorghe Anghel

Romanian Bishop of Canada calls social distancing a difficult ascetic feat, urges reordering of priorities

In a pastoral message linked to the coronavirus pandemic, Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada referred to the social distance (recommended as a preventive measure against infection) as to an ascetic effort on the #lentenpath. The Romanian hierarch advised the believers to observe the norms announced by the state authorities and called for a change of…

Mar 19, 2020Gheorghe Anghel

Transylvania Metropolitan urges prayer for loving protection of the Virgin Mary in times of pandemic

In addition to the recommendation to respect the regulations announced by authorities, Metropolitan Laurentiu of Transylvania advised the clergy to officiate every morning the Supplicatory Canon of the Theotokos and to read the special prayer for the cessation of the coronavirus pandemic. “We ask all the ministers of the altars in all the parishes and…

Mar 19, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Alba Archbishop Irineu sends encouraging message: Our ancestors surpassed many hardships with Christian dignity

Archbishop Irineu of Alba Iulia has sent a message of encouragement context of containment for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which ‘is affecting the lives of some and limits the freedom of movement and action of others.’ The Archbishop of the historic city of Alba Iulia referred to the ancestors of the Romanian people who surpassed many…

Mar 19, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Coronavirus: Râmnic Archdiocese Seminary offers 200 rooms for quarantine

The Archdiocese of Râmnic has announced that it has made the dormitory of its Theological Orthodox Seminary available to the country’s health authorities to take in patients, serve as a quarantine zone or even provide accommodation to health professionals. A total of 200 rooms will be available for quarantine. “In the Archdiocese of Râmnic, as…

Mar 19, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Teofan: It is time to seek refuge in the privacy of our homes, until the wrath of this plague is past

While Romania instated state of emergency on Monday to contain the coronavirus epidemic, Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina sent a video encouraging message urging for prayer and calm which gathered more than 600,000 views on Facebook. The metropolitan quotes God’s words given to prophet Isaiah 26:20: “Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut…

Mar 19, 2020Ștefana Totorcea