International Meeting of Orthodox Youth

National Cathedral to host first Divine Liturgy of 2026 during international Orthodox youth gathering

The National Cathedral will reopen its doors to worshippers during the International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO 2026), which will take place in Bucharest from 31 August to 3 September. According to a statement from the Romanian Patriarchate’s Press Office, the National Cathedral will host several liturgical services and conferences next week. On Thursday, 3…

Aug 28, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarchate spokesperson ahead of ITO 2026: An opportunity for dialogue, prayer and communion

“We want this event to provide an opportunity for dialogue, prayer and communion, and to raise awareness of the importance young people have for the Church and society in general,” Father Adrian Agachi, spokesman for the Romanian Patriarchate, said on Thursday at a press conference dedicated to the 2026 International Meeting of Orthodox Youth. The…

Aug 27, 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

Patriarch Daniel gratefully marks 75th birthday with working meeting focused on Orthodox youth gathering

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church marked his 75th birthday on Wednesday during a working meeting at the Familia Cultural and Missionary Centre in Pantelimon, near Bucharest. His Beatitude said the day represents “a moment of gratitude offered to God.” The meeting brought together members of the Standing Committee of the National…

Jul 23, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel to spend 75th birthday in working session on 2026 Youth Gathering

The Romanian Patriarchate has reiterated that the official (institutional) celebration of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel is the anniversary of his enthronement as Patriarch on 30 September, while his birthday, 22 July, and his name days—the Feast of the Holy Prophet Daniel (17 December) and of Saint Daniel the Hesychast (18 December)—are personal celebrations. This year…

Jul 21, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox Youth Day celebrated worldwide on February 2

Orthodox Youth Day is observed annually on February 2, marking an occasion for young Orthodox Christians worldwide to celebrate their faith and community. This International Day was established in June 1992 during the 14th General Assembly of Syndesmos – The World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth. The initiative received the blessing of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and…

Feb 2, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

ITO 2023 Conferences: Dr Radu Tincu combats 5 false claims about drug use

Dr. Radu Tincu, a primary physician in Intensive Care and Toxicology, spoke at the 2023 International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO) Conferences held in Timișoara, Romania, about the growing scourge of drug use among young people. On this occasion, he challenged five false claims about drug use. “I’ve wondered if drug addiction is just a…

Sep 6, 2023Ștefana Totorcea

Guard the light! Torch of 2023 Int’l Meeting of Orthodox Youth handed to Bucharest Archdiocese, host of the next edition

Youth representatives from the Archdiocese of Bucharest, which will host the next edition of the International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO) in 2025, symbolically received the 2023 edition torch on Sunday from the young people of the Archdiocese of Timișoara, this year’s host of the event. The ceremony took place after the Divine Liturgy celebrated…

Sep 4, 2023Ștefana Totorcea

“God exists!” Int’l Meeting of Orthodox Youth 2023 pays tribute to the 1989 heroes who prayed under bullets in Timișoara

Participants in the 2023 International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO) held in Timișoara, Romania, walked the Friendship Procession on Saturday. The procession ended in the city’s Opera Square with a tribute to the heroes of December 1989, who drove out atheist communism by praying under bullets in the very same place. The Friendship Procession was…

Sep 4, 2023Ștefana Totorcea

Metropolitan Ioan asks Orthodox youth to form a human chain around those who risk being trafficked or using drugs

“Dear young people, please form a human chain around the ones you see at risk of being trafficked or at risk of drug use. Please, surround them like birds protect their young when kidnappers come to their nest!” said Metropolitan Ioan of Banat on Saturday, at the International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO) 2023 Conferences,…

Sep 4, 2023Ștefana Totorcea

Man’s friendship with God, the surest light of life: 2023 Orthodox Youth Int’l Meeting begins in Timisoara

The International Meeting of Orthodox Youth ITO 2023 began Thursday evening with an inaugural ceremony in the Park of Roses in Timișoara in western Romania, focusing on man’s friendship with God as the foundation of fellowship between individuals and peoples. Participating in the opening ceremony together with His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel and Metropolitan Ioan of…

Sep 1, 2023Aurelian Iftimiu