pastoral care

Romanian Patriarchate urges caution over drug decriminalisation proposal, calls for prevention and treatment

Fr Florin-Ciprian Petre, Patriarchal Secretary at the Press and Public Relations Office of the Romanian Patriarchate and a serving priest at the chapel of the Prof. Dr Alexandru Obregia Clinical Psychiatric Hospital in Bucharest, represented His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel at the public debate “Drugs in Romania: Prevention, Treatment and Combating Drug Trafficking”. The debate was…

Oct 19, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox Primates of Albania and Greece discuss social outreach and education in Athens

His Beatitude Archbishop John of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania met His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece on Thursday. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Archdiocese of Athens, where Bishop Barnabas of Christoupolis welcomed the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Albania. Archbishop John presented the initiatives and…

Oct 17, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox abbot travels 1,350 km to minister to small parish in Canada

Hieromonk Policarp Athenagoras, abbot of Canada’s only Romanian Orthodox monastery, visited the Orthodox community in Timmins, Ontario, in early October. The cleric made a round trip of more than 1,350 kilometres to join the faithful at the Dormition of the Mother of God Parish. The programme included prayer, liturgical services and meetings with members of…

Oct 13, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Greek Orthodox metropolitan proposes eight measures to tackle loneliness through parish communities

The hierarchs of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece discussed loneliness in contemporary society and its pastoral implications last week, with eight measures proposed to help address social isolation through communities of faith. Metropolitan Dorotheos of Syros, Tinos, Andros, Kea, Milos, Delos and Mykonos presented a paper entitled The Pastoral Care of Loneliness…

Oct 13, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarchate voices concern over proposed decriminalisation of drug possession for personal use

The Romanian Patriarchate notes with concern the draft legislation proposing to decriminalise certain offences related to possessing drugs for personal use and believes any changes in this area must prioritise protecting the gift of life, personal health, and the well-being of families and communities. Particular attention must be paid to children and young people, who…

Oct 9, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Church of Greece examines clergy’s online presence, warns of risks of social media

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece devoted particular attention on Wednesday to an increasingly relevant issue: the online presence of clergy. Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Chalkida outlined the benefits and risks of online pastoral ministry, along with several guiding principles, in a presentation to the Synod. “I believe that reality itself has given a…

Oct 9, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

7,000 akathists of St Demetrius the New distributed in Romanian prisons

The blessing of St Demetrius the New was brought to prisons throughout the Archdiocese of Bucharest on 13–14 July 2026 during a pilgrimage with a vestment that once covered the saint’s relics. At the same time, 7,000 copies of the saint’s Akathist were distributed to inmates and prison staff. On 13 July, the vestment and…

Jul 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox priests in psychiatry hospitals hold first national conference

The first national conference of charity priests serving in psychiatric hospitals is taking place this week at the Voila Psychiatric Hospital in Câmpina. Participants highlighted the importance of cooperation between medical professionals and Church ministers in the healing of patients “in body, mind and soul.” The event opened Tuesday with the Divine Liturgy in the…

Feb 18, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

UK Romanian priest calls for dialogue between theology and psychology in addressing mental health

“A spiritual father needs to distinguish between a mental disorder and a spiritual disturbance,” Father Justin Mihoc said in an interview for the Hristocentric project, underlining the need for dialogue between theology and psychology in contemporary society. Father Justin Mihoc is the parish priest of the Romanian community in Durham, in northern England. He is…

Jan 15, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel marks 18 years as Head of Romanian Church, urges Europe to uphold Christian values

On the 18th anniversary of his enthronement, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church emphasised the need to emphasise spiritual values in order to live eternally in the love, peace, and joy of the Holy Trinity, as both Romanians and Europeans. “We must also emphasise the spiritual values that help us not only to live…

Sep 30, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian priests in Italy discuss dangers of drug use and other addictions

The clergy of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy deliberated last week on the perils associated with substance abuse, as well as methods of pastoral care and rehabilitation for individuals afflicted with addictions. Saint Theotimus of Tomis Parish in Giaveno served as the host parish for the spring semi-annual pastoral conference of the Diocese, where…

Apr 9, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu