Religious Education

Patriarch Daniel urges Christian education and support for disadvantaged pupils as new school year begins

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel blessed pupils, parents and teachers at the start of the 2026–2027 school year and encouraged families, churches, and schools to cultivate faith and Christian values. The Patriarch of Romania highlighted Religious Education’s contribution to pupils’ personal, moral, and spiritual formation, stressing that education should develop not only knowledge but also skills,…

Aug 26, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Benelux Orthodox Bishops approve theological seminar on ecology for 2026

A theological seminar dedicated to ecology will take place in Paris on 12 September 2026, with the aim of fostering lasting cooperation among theological institutes in France and the Benelux countries. The decision was taken at last week’s meeting of the Orthodox Bishops’ Conference of Benelux (OECB). Those present included Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium (Ecumenical…

Jun 23, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Feast of St Liviu-Galaction marked in Cluj: We look up and admire his faith and steadfastness

Metropolitan Andrei of Cluj on Sunday commemorated St Liviu-Galaction Munteanu at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Cluj-Napoca, praising the faith and steadfastness of the newly canonised priest-martyr. “We look up and admire his faith and seriousness,” the metropolitan said during the Divine Liturgy celebrated together with his Assistant Bishop Samuel of Bistrița, on the saint’s feast…

Mar 10, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox parish in Malta hosts school visit to introduce students to Orthodox tradition

The Romanian Orthodox parish in Malta’s capital, Valletta, was visited earlier this month by a group of 70 pupils from Pembroke Secondary School as part of an educational programme to familiarise students with Malta’s Christian traditions. The group was accompanied by their religion teachers. For nearly an hour, the parish priest, Fr Alexandru Popescu, presented…

Feb 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian religion teacher: Young people’s real crisis is not AI, but the loss of meaning and love

A religious education teacher told Basilica.ro that the real problem facing young people today is not artificial intelligence. He stressed that “their deepest thirst is for meaning and for love – and these can only be answered in the presence of another human soul, one that is healthy and responsible.” Denis Vlad has been teaching…

Feb 3, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarchate reaffirms constitutional right to Religious Education in state schools

Following the publication of journalistic materials raising the issue of an alleged “illegal” teaching of the subject Religion, the Romanian Patriarchate makes the following clarifications: 1. According to the Constitution of Romania, “The State shall ensure the freedom of religious education, in accordance with the specific requirements of each religious cult. In public schools, religious…

Jan 20, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox priests in Bavaria push for stronger religious education in German schools

Priests from the Southern Bavaria Deanery gathered in Munich last Saturday for extensive discussions on introducing and strengthening Orthodox Religious Education in schools across Germany. The meeting took place at the Annunciation Romanian Orthodox Parish in Munich and was chaired by Dean Fr. Alexandru Nan. The event was structured in two sessions: a thematic conference…

Nov 26, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Benelux Orthodox Bishops discuss chaplaincy in Belgian Army and prisons, Religion classes in Dutch schools

Orthodox bishops in the Benelux met in Brussels on Tuesday for the 31st meeting of the Orthodox Episcopal Conference of the region. Key topics included Christian Orthodox religious assistance in the Belgian armed forces and prison system, as well as the potential introduction of Orthodox religion classes in primary schools in the Netherlands. The Conference…

Nov 6, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Benelux Orthodox Bishops to establish joint commission for Catholic-Orthodox dialogue in Belgium

The Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in Benelux held its 30th meeting on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Orthodox Archdiocese in Brussels, under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. During the meeting, the bishops agreed to establish a Joint Commission for Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church in Belgium. The initiative…

Jun 20, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox Youth Meeting in Oltenia draws 450 participants, hosted by Metropolitan Irineu and Bishop Macarie

Metropolitan Irineu of Oltenia and Bishop Macarie of Northern Europe met last week with the 450 participants of this year’s Orthodox Youth Meeting in Oltenia. On Friday, following the Divine Liturgy celebrated at the “Madona Dudu” Church in Craiova by His Grace Bishop Macarie, a Te Deum service was also officiated in the presence of…

May 13, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox Religion Olympiad draws 10,000 students nationwide, including 1,600 in Bucharest

More than 1,600 students participated in the Orthodox Religion Olympiad in Bucharest on Saturday, competing at the district level. Across the rest of the country, the competition took place at the county level, with a total of approximately 10,000 participants. Students Compete in Religion Olympiad Students who secure first place at the county or district…

Mar 18, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu