The Belt of the Mother of God from Kato Xenia Monastery in Greece will be brought on pilgrimage to the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Moinești, Bacău County, from 4 to 7 September. The reliquary containing the sacred relic will be welcomed on Friday, 4 September, at 4:30 p.m. The programme…
His Eminence Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia attended a solemn session on Wednesday marking 35 years since the proclamation of the Republic of Moldova’s independence. The event was held at the Presidential Palace in Chișinău. The anniversary gathering was attended by President Maia Sandu of the Republic of Moldova, Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, members of the…
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…
“I pray that God may grant you the gift of keeping your hearts pure for as long as possible throughout your lives,” Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina told around 1,000 participants in the Meeting of Orthodox Youth from Moldavia on Tuesday. His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan addressed the young people following the Divine Liturgy celebrated…
The Romanian church of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark in Almendralejo, Spain, was consecrated on Sunday by His Grace Bishop Timotei of Spain and Portugal and his Assistant Bishop Teofil of Iberia. Following the consecration service, the two hierarchs celebrated the Divine Liturgy, attended by representatives of the local and provincial authorities. They included…
Saints Adrian and Natalia are the spiritual patrons of 497,965 Romanians, according to data provided by Romania’s General Directorate for Personal Records. Of the total number of people bearing names associated with the two saints, 312,580 are men, and 185,385 are women. Among men, Adrian is by far the most common name, borne by 306,210…
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,…
Photographers from around the world are being invited to capture Orthodox Christianity through the international competition “Colours of Orthodoxy. Czechia and Slovakia”. The competition runs from 15 August to 30 November and is free to enter for both professional and amateur photographers. Each participant may submit up to six photographs per category across the four…
A personal lead seal belonging to Byzantine Empress Irene Komnene Doukaina Laskarina has recently been discovered at Perperikon in southern Bulgaria. Dating from the 13th century, the artefact depicts the empress on one side and Christ the Saviour on the other in the rare iconographic representation known as Lytrotes — “the Redeemer”. Prof Nikolay Ovcharov,…
On Sunday, the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate offered prayers for peace in anticipation of Ukraine’s Independence Day. The liturgical observance was conducted at the behest of Ihor Prokopchuk, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Romania. Priests and members of the communities prayed for an end to the war and for those suffering as a result…
The relics of Saint Anne from Koutloumousiou Monastery will be brought to Romania for the first time and placed for veneration at the New “Saint George” Church in Bucharest from 5 to 10 September. A delegation from Mount Athos, comprising five monks, will arrive at Henri Coandă International Airport in Otopeni at around 3:00 pm…
“At present, Christianity is the religion most exposed to intolerance and discrimination worldwide, with the phenomenon of Christianophobia being quite widespread globally,” Romania’s Ambassador to the Holy See and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta said on the occasion of the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief,…
A new Byzantine chant school for children, young people and adults will open in Iași in September as part of a project run by the Archdiocese of Iași. Registration for the first intake of students will take place from 1 to 23 September, and participation is free. The “Saint Macarius Protopsaltes” Metropolitan School of Byzantine…
The Battle of Lipnic was commemorated on Thursday in northern Republic of Moldova. Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia celebrated the Divine Liturgy and a memorial service for the soldiers of Saint Stephen the Great who fell in the battle against the Tatars. The commemorations started at the church in Lipnic village, with attendance including local community members,…
Victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief are commemorated each year on 22 August internationally through a day established by the United Nations. The observance provides an opportunity to express solidarity with people affected by religious persecution and discrimination and to reaffirm the need to protect every person’s right to manifest their…
His Grace Bishop Ieronim of Dacia Felix concelebrated on Wednesday with Serbian Metropolitan Lukijan of Buda and Administrator of Timișoara at the patronal feast of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Szentendre, Hungary. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the occasion of the feast observed by the Serbian Orthodox Church according to…
Approximately 25,000 pilgrims attended the Divine Liturgy for the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God on Saturday, 15 August, at Nicula Monastery in Cluj County. According to law enforcement estimates, more than 70,000 people visited the monastery in the days leading up to its patronal feast. Metropolitan Andrei of Cluj, Maramureș and…
Young Germans are discovering the beauty of Orthodoxy through volunteer activities at Piatra Fântânele Monastery in Bistrița-Năsăud County, where they are taking part in a work camp. The programme runs from 15 to 29 August and brings together 20 participants from the Evangelical Youth Association in Württemberg (EJW), the Cluj branch of the Association of…
Patriarch Daniel of Romania has presented Saints Nazaria, Olympias and Elizabeth of Văratec as three distinct examples of holiness united by unceasing prayer, humble charity and diligent service to others. He delivered his message on the occasion of the local proclamation of their canonisation at Văratec Monastery. Saints Nazaria, Olympias and Elizabeth of Văratec –…
Saint John of Rila was commemorated on Wednesday at Rila Monastery in Bulgaria, marking 1,080 years since his repose in the Lord. On this occasion, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniil of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church highlighted the saint’s spiritual legacy, describing him as “a source of hope, spiritual help, an example and a guide for our…