Orthodox news

Four year anniversary of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church

Four years ago, on June 16, began the writing of ‘a new chapter in the history of the Church’ as Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew called the meeting of the Local Orthodox Churches that took place on the island of Crete. The Council took place from June 16 to June 26, 2016, at the Orthodox Academy of…

Jun 19, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarchate welcomes Government’s decision to resume regular worship inside churches

‘The Romanian Patriarchate received with joy the intensely awaited and fully justified decision of the authorities to allow the celebration of religious services inside the churches, with the participation of the faithful, in compliance with clear and still necessary regulations,” the Patriarchate’s spokesman Vasile Bănescu told Basilica.ro Tuesday. The decision to allow religious services to…

Jun 19, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Women in the Byzantine music – Exclusive interview with presbytera Paula Cautis, conductor of Filomelos choir

For almost 13 years, Filomelos Byzantine Women’s choir from Borzeşti has occupied a special place in the hearts of Byzantine music lovers. Presbytera Paula Cautiş, the conductor of the Byzantine choir, told the story of the Filomelos Choir in an interview with Basilica.ro. How it all started? How they overcame obstacles? But also, what are…

Jun 18, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Google Bucharest fined for renaming of Romania’s National Cathedral on Google Maps

Google Bucharest was sanctioned on Wednesday by the National Council for Combating Discrimination (CNCD) for not taking any action concerning the blasphemous renaming of the Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral on Google Maps. The name of the new church was left as “Cathedral of the Stupidity of the Nation” in the app for several days. The…

Jun 18, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania’s new ambassador to Israel visits Romanian Patriarchate’s representation to Jerusalem

Romania’s newly appointed ambassador to Israel, Radu Ioanid, visited the headquarters of the Romanian Patriarchate’s representation in Jerusalem where he met with the V. Rev. Archimandrite Teofil Anastasoaie on Monday, June 15. “After a break of three years in which the position of ambassador was vacant, we are glad that it was finally decided that…

Jun 18, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Byzanfest Orthodox Film Festival 2020 is open for submissions

Christian Orthodox filmmakers from all over the world can submit their short and feature-length films to the fifth edition of Byzanfest Orthodox Film Festival. The competition accepts films made in the Orthodox ethos. The productions can be sent online until August 23, 2020. Byzanfest aims to promote Christian Orthodox filmmakers because film serves as a…

Jun 17, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

The Week in Pictures: June 8 – 14, 2020

The joy of Orthodox life captured in pictures from the patronal feast of the Basilica Media Centre of the Romanian Patriarchate until the All Saints Sunday. Please see below our selection of photos made between June 8 and 14, 2020.   Follow us on Twitter: @BasilicaNews and on Instagram: @basilica.ro We would gladly include one…

Jun 17, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

For 12 years, Basilica.ro

June 16 marks the 12th anniversary of Basilica.ro, the only news agency belonging to an Orthodox Autocephalous Church. This unique project began as a news aggregator selecting articles from the Dioceses of the Romanian Patriarchate. Information was taken en masse directly from the source, with little intervention on form or content. After joining social media,…

Jun 16, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Varlaam at St Anthimos Monastery: Don’t run after fleeting things, chase holiness instead!

The patriarchal auxiliary bishop Varlaam of Ploiesti urged Sunday to set the sanctification of our lives above all personal ideals. His Grace presided over the Divine Liturgy at St Anthimos Monastery in Bucharest on the front steps of the church dedicated to the Synaxis of All Saints. Bishop Varlaam said we should chase holiness by…

Jun 16, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Timișoara Archdiocese donates house to victim of domestic violence with 5 children

Just days after the Huși Diocese of the Romanian Orthodox Church donated three houses to disadvantaged families as part of their “Joy is Home” project, the Archdiocese of Timișoara is doing the same. In the village of Babșa in Timiș County, the Archdiocese bought and donated a house to a mother with five children who…

Jun 16, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Celebration of services inside places of worship is fully justified – Patriarchate’s Spokesperson

The spokesman of the Romanian Patriarchate said Thursday that ‘the rapid return to the celebration of religious services inside the places of worship (with the implicit observance of the rules of physical distancing and sanitation of the liturgical spaces as established by the competent authorities) is already fully justified and adequate to the current Romanian…

Jun 12, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu