Coronavirus pandemic

The Week in Pictures: May 11 – 17, 2020

After two months of waiting, Orthodox Romanians were able to participate in the Divine Liturgy. The joy of this moment was captured by photographers throughout Romania. Here is our weekly selection of pictures. Last week’s most-liked Instagram post:   Vezi această postare pe Instagram   O postare distribuită de Basilica News Agency (@basilica.ro) pe Mai…

May 22, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

President Iohannis sends condolences after repose of Abp Pimen, appreciates Church’s role in tackling coronavirus pandemic

Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis sent an official letter of condolences to Patriarch Daniel to express his sorrow for the death of Archbishop Pimen of Suceava and Radauti. In his message, President Iohannis expressed his appreciation for the Romanian Orthodox Church’s role in tackling the new coronavirus pandemic. The following is the full text of the…

May 22, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox Church’s guidelines for priests and faithful during state of alert

Considering that, from May 15, 2020, the state of emergency and the applicability of the Military Ordinances that limited essential aspects of the public religious life of the faithful cease, following consultation with the Romanian Government, the Romanian Patriarchate sends the following instructions to the cult units of the Romanian Orthodox Church regarding the access…

May 15, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

New financial and material support offered by the Romanian Patriarchate before the expiration of the state of emergency

The Romanian Orthodox Church has continued its extensive aid campaign in the context of the pandemic and the emergency state, the latter effectively ending in Romania this Thursday, May 14. The Church has offered substantial and diversified aid, through parishes and dioceses, to the elderly and the poor, the sick and disabled and to the…

May 14, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Participation of the faithful to open-air religious services allowed in Romania starting May 15

In a press statement on Tuesday, President Klaus Iohannis spoke about relaxing the pandemic rules once the state of emergency is over, on May 15, and said it will be possible to attend religious services in the open air, provided certain requirements are met. “Religious services with believers can be resumed in the first phase…

May 14, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Patriarch Daniel tells nurses they are ‘hands of God’s merciful love’

Patriarch Daniel issued a message for International Nurses Day referring to nurses as ‘the hands of God’s merciful love.’ His Beatitude praised the courage and dedication of all female and male nurses from Romania and abroad, ‘who combine the faith in God with love for their neighbour’ in their activity. ‘International Nurses Day, celebrated this…

May 14, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel expresses gratitude to Christian women for being ‘models of faith and courage in times of trial’

In his annual message occasioned by the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel expressed his gratitude to Christian women for being ‘models of faith and courage in times of trial.’ The message that will be read throughout the Romanian Patriarchate this Sunday reminds of the presence of the myrrh-bearing women at Christ’s tomb…

Apr 30, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarchate offers 470,000-Euros worth of aid between April 20 and 27, 2020

The Romanian Patriarchate has announced that the amount of aid offered by the Church to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic exceeded 470,000 Euros (2,278,396 Lei) in the week of April 20-27. That brings the total aid offered by dioceses since the beginning of the health crisis to 3,080,015 Euros (14,876,474 Lei). The full text…

Apr 29, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Romanian Patriarch recommends prayer and hope amidst the pandemic

Prayer and hope were the main topics on which Patriarch Daniel’s sermon focused on Bright Friday when the Orthodox Church marks the feast day of the Life-Giving Spring of the Theotokos. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said that especially now when the world experiences a sad and difficult period due to the coronavirus pandemic, we need…

Apr 28, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel thanks Pope Francis for medical equipment donated to Suceava Hospital

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel thanked Pope Francis in a letter sent on April 23 for the medical equipment donated to the St John the New Hospital in Suceava. The donation, consisting of five lung ventilators, 200 overalls, 900 FFP2 masks, and 5,000 sanitary masks, was offered on the feast day of Saint George the Trophy-bearer,…

Apr 27, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel: Saint George will help us overcome the great tribulation of coronavirus pandemic

‘The Holy Great Martyr Gorge is for us today a great helper in times of tribulation,’ His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said on Bright Thursday celebrating the patronal feast of the historic chapel of the patriarchal residence. “As he overcame the demons who worked through the persecuting pagan emperors and conquered all temptations and sufferings, so…

Apr 27, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu