Romanian Orthodox Church

Bishop Ignatie of Huși expresses concerns about monks’ presence on social media

Although he is one of the few Romanian hierarchs active on social media, Bishop Ignatie of Huși expressed his scepticism regarding the use of social platforms during the diocese’s annual monastic synaxis on Tuesday. His Grace Bishop Ignatie began by referring to Saint Silouan the Athonite, commemorated on Sept. 24, who said, “A monk should…

Sep 27, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Three Romanian metropolitans at international meeting for peace: HE Serafim explains that peace comes from the heart

Romanian Orthodox Metropolitans Ioan of Banat, Iosif of Western and Southern Europe and Serafim of Germany, Central and Northern Europe participated in the International Meeting “Imagine Peace” organized by the Sant’Egidio Community between September 22 and 24 in Paris. The event brought together laypeople and religious leaders from many countries and cultures of the world.…

Sep 26, 2024Ștefana Totorcea

Greece opens new embassy in Chișinău: Ambassador Nikolaos Krikos meets with Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia

His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia, Exarch of the Territories, welcomed His Excellency Nikolaos Krikos, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the Republic of Moldova, at the Metropolitan Residence in Chișinău on Wednesday. The meeting was held in light of the recent inauguration of the Greek Embassy in Chișinău. The dialogue focused…

Sep 26, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel’s message for the 2024-25 Academic Year: Youth education is a sacred mission and civic obligation

At the start of the 2024-2025 academic year, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel extended a message of blessing and encouragement to students and professors in universities across Romania. In his message, he highlighted the importance of cooperation between the Church and the University, encouraging a deeper dialogue between theology and science. He noted that this can…

Sep 26, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox Church to mark Patriarch Daniel’s 17th enthronement anniversary

On Monday, September 30, 2024, the Romanian Orthodox Church will mark the 17th anniversary of the enthronement of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel. The program begins with the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. Following the liturgy, at 11:00 AM, a Te Deum service will be held in the Cathedral as…

Sep 26, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Southern Bessarabia Diocese: Evaluating past achievements and setting new goals

The Standing Diocesan Council of the Diocese of Southern Bessarabia met on September 5 at the diocesan headquarters in Cahul. The agenda included evaluating the activities of the past four years and setting pastoral, missionary, and catechetical priorities for the future. The meeting was chaired by His Grace Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia. In retrospect,…

Sep 12, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

NEPSIS Youth Congress in Spain concludes with Divine Liturgy and lessons on true love from Bishop Timotei

The NEPSIS Youth Congress of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal concluded last Saturday with a Divine Liturgy celebrated by Bishop Timotei, the Romanian hierarch overseeing the Iberian peninsula. In his homily, Bishop Timotei addressed the youth about the meaning of true love and cautioned them about the potential pitfalls common to their…

Sep 12, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Petru on Moldova’s Independence Day: A moment of reflection on the Church’s role in preserving identity

His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia sent a message to all Bessarabians on Tuesday to mark the Independence Day of the Republic of Moldova. “On this festive day, we wish to convey our congratulations to all Bessarabian Romanians, both those living on this blessed land and those who, for various reasons, are far away, seeking…

Aug 27, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Remembering Patriarch Teoctist on the 17th anniversary of his blessed repose

Romania’s former Patriarch Teoctist Arapasu reposed in the Lord 17 years ago, on July 30, 2007. Patriarch Teoctist was born on February 7, 1915, in Tocileni, Botoșani county. He was named Teodor, being the tenth child of Dumitru and Marghioala Arăpașu. He went to Vorona Monastery as a novice in 1928 and continued to Neamț…

Jul 30, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania has 1,440 wooden churches: A legacy of a hostile edict in Transylvania

Romania’s cultural heritage includes over 1,400 wooden churches constructed before 1918, according to a report by PressOne, supported by the National Historic Cultural Tourism Program “Attractive Romania.” These wooden churches are almost evenly distributed throughout the country, although the figures might suggest otherwise: 650 in Transylvania, Banat, Crișana, and Maramureș ~500 in Muntenia, Oltenia, and…

Jul 25, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox Church delegation pays visit to Armenia: Support for refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh

A delegation of the Romanian Orthodox Church met with representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church during an official visit aiming to establish a framework to support Armenian refugees from the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The meetings are taking place in the context of a fundraiser organized by the Romanian Patriarchate in 2024 to aid Armenian refugees. The…

Jul 25, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu