Solemn Year 2026

Deacon and psychiatrist Rareș Ionașcu: Children need unconditional love, clear boundaries and present parents

Deacon Dr Rareș Ionașcu is a psychiatrist and serves the Romanian Orthodox Church in the diaspora. He practises psychiatry in France, in the Angoulême area, and serves as a deacon at the Romanian Orthodox Parish of St Joseph and St John of San Francisco in Bordeaux. Actively engaged in dialogue between medical science and Christian…

Sep 23, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox psychotherapist and priest’s wife: Healthy families know how to repair relationships and reconnect

More and more people feel lonely, even within their families or communities. Relationships require attention, humility, responsibility, and effort to survive, while family unity can erode not only through major crises but also through a lack of dialogue, resentment, and unrepaired wounds. We spoke about loneliness, family life, the formation of adolescents and the role…

Sep 22, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel, European Commission Vice-President discuss stronger cooperation on education and social inclusion

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania received Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, during an official visit to the Patriarchal Residence on Friday, 11 September 2026. The delegation included Mara Roman, Head of the European Commission Representation in Romania; Cătălin Gheran, a member of Mînzatu’s Cabinet; Rareș Achiriloaie, Cabinet member and communications adviser;…

Sep 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Timotei: St Anne’s relics are a ‘great blessing’ for families hoping for children

Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova of the Archdiocese of Bucharest said on Wednesday that the presence of St Anne’s relics in the Romanian capital represents “a great blessing for the entire country and especially for families who do not have children but hope to have them”. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated at St George the…

Sep 10, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel: Nativity of the Mother of God offers encouragement to parents and couples hoping for children

“The feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God should be an encouragement to all parents who have children and to those who do not, but hope to have them,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said on Tuesday at the historic St George the Great Martyr Chapel of the Patriarchal Residence. The Patriarch of Romania…

Sep 10, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Assistant Bishop Iachint of the Pacific: Holiness is cultivated within the family

Assistant Bishop Iachint of the Pacific of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand emphasised on Tuesday, the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, that “holiness is cultivated within the family, and the Mother of God was born into the family of two faithful people who prayed together”. Bishop Mihail…

Sep 9, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Archbishop Calinic to couples hoping for children: Become ‘gateways through which grace may pass’

On the feast of Sts Joachim and Anne, Archbishop Calinic of Suceava and Rădăuți urged families hoping to have children to pray and cultivate patience in humility. “Make your family and your home a place of prayer, remembering that peace, faithfulness and the good tears born of humility bring down the Kingdom of Heaven into…

Sep 9, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam: Every child is a gift and blessing from God

Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești emphasised the value of the gift of life and the family’s role in raising children at the Patriarchal Cathedral on Tuesday: “Every child who is born is a gift and a blessing from God.” The Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop spoke about the veneration of the Most Holy Virgin from the…

Sep 9, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

ITO 2026 concludes at National Cathedral, Iași to host next gathering in 2028

The 2026 International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO 2026) concluded on Thursday at the National Cathedral with the Divine Liturgy and a ceremony handing over the torch to the Archdiocese of Iași, which has been designated to organise the next gathering. Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishops Varlaam of Ploiești and Paisie of Sinaia celebrated the service, along…

Sep 4, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

ITO 2026 speakers highlight family, faith and human connection in confronting addiction

Andreea Ogăraru, a mother of six, and Dr Radu Țincu, a senior physician in Intensive Care and Toxicology at Bucharest’s Floreasca Emergency Clinical Hospital, spoke with participants at the 2026 International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO 2026). The event took place on Tuesday evening at the National Cathedral in Bucharest and was broadcast live by…

Sep 2, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

ITO 2026 to gather 2,400 Orthodox young people in Bucharest for prayer, dialogue and fellowship

The International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO), the largest youth event organised by the Romanian Orthodox Church, will take place in Bucharest from 31 August to 3 September 2026 under the theme “Young People, the Family and Life in Christ”. With the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, this year’s gathering will bring together approximately…

Aug 26, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu