Christmas 2022

Patriarch Daniel: Offer Christ the gold of faith and good deeds, the frankincense of prayer and the myrrh of a pure life

If rich in spirit, every Christian, whether rich or poor in material terms, “can offer Christ more precious gifts than the gifts offered by the wise men of the East.” These are “the gold of faith and good deeds, the frankincense of fervent prayer and the myrrh of a pure life,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel…

Dec 29, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Without Christ, we can do nothing for our profit or the peace of the world: Metropolitan Teofan says in his Christmas encyclical

“Without Christ, we can do nothing for our profit or the peace of the world,” Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina stressed in this year’s Christmas pastoral letter. The Metropolitan lamented the oppressive atmosphere created by the war in the neighbouring country. “The awareness that we share the suffering of those affected by war, that…

Dec 23, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel’s Christmas Encyclical 2022: Christ’s Nativity unites heaven and earth

“Christ’s Nativity unites heaven and earth” is the title of this year’s Christmas encyclical of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania. In his pastoral letter addressed to the plenitude of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Daniel stresses that “the Son of God, Jesus Christ, descends into the world to be born, to grow and to…

Dec 22, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel’s Christmas Message 2022: The Almighty became a humble Child. Innocence is His power now

In a video message for this year’s feast of the Nativity of the Lord, the Patriarch of Romania recalled that the Infant Jesus is “the peaceful joy that gushes forth from God’s humble and merciful love,” which calls us to show humble and merciful love towards our neighbours. Patriarch Daniel’s Message for Christmas 2022 and…

Dec 21, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Nativity Fast begins: We bring #peaceonearth with a Christmas online campaign

Basilica.ro remains a companion for its readers and friends during the 2022 Nativity Fast with a social media Christmas campaign titled #peaceonearth. The theme was inspired by the angels who sang the first Christmas carol in Bethlehem two thousand years ago: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”…

Nov 14, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

It’s not too early to start thinking about the Nativity Fast

At the end of the Solemn Year of Prayer and the Commemorative Year of the Hesychast Saints, you have another opportunity to pray more, calm and recharge your soul with the words of the Holy Scripture and the Holy Fathers of the Church: the Nativity Fast that begins in two weeks. The Nativity Fast “is…

Nov 3, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu