Middle East

Bucharest Declaration calls for greater international cooperation to protect Christian heritage

Participants in the World Congress of Syriac Studies and the International Conference on Arab Christian Studies adopted the “Bucharest Declaration” on Friday, recognising Romania’s contribution to the development of cultural diplomacy. According to a press release issued by the Levant Institute for Advanced Studies in the Culture of Peace, the declaration was adopted in the…

Aug 10, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Middle East patriarchs renew appeal 13 years after Aleppo bishops’ abduction

Patriarch John X of Antioch and Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II issued a new joint appeal on Wednesday over the 2013 abduction of two Aleppo bishops, calling the unresolved case “an affront of deceit” and renewing a plea for truth and Christian solidarity in the Middle East. The statement referred to the kidnapping of Metropolitan Paul…

Apr 22, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian priest in Dubai urges calm as Middle East tensions raise concerns among diaspora

Father Alexandru Cristian Truşcan, parish priest of the Romanian community in Dubai, has issued a message of reassurance and caution amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, saying the community is closely monitoring developments. “We are following the evolution of the situation responsibly,” the priest told Basilica.ro. Amid recent geopolitical tensions in the region…

Mar 4, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Christian and Muslim leaders mark 10 years of Aqaba Process at Jordan Conference

Christian and Muslim religious leaders from the Balkans and the Middle East gathered last week in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to mark the 10th anniversary of the Aqaba Process, an international initiative aimed at promoting interreligious dialogue and peaceful coexistence. The international conference, titled “The Aqaba Process – Balkan Interreligious Dialogue,” was held on…

Dec 15, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox Church delegates meet in Brussels to strengthen cooperation and promote Christian values in the EU

Representatives of the Romanian Patriarchate to the European Union, Fr. Sorin Șelaru and Fr. George Vâlcu, took part on Tuesday in a meeting of the Committee of Representatives of the Orthodox Churches to the European Union (CROCEU), held at the Ambiorix Orthodox Centre in Brussels. The meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation among the local Orthodox…

Oct 16, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Archaeologists discover 1,400-year-old Christian cross in Abu Dhabi, confirming ancient monastery site

A team of archaeologists has recently discovered a 30-centimetre-long stucco cross in the United Arab Emirates, dating back at least 1,300 years. The Christian symbol confirms that a group of houses unearthed decades ago was part of a monastery. The nine small courtyard dwellings were first discovered in 1992 on Sir Bani Yas Island, located…

Aug 26, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Qatar Ambassador meets Metropolitan Petru in Chișinău to discuss social and interfaith cooperation

His Eminence Petru, Archbishop of Chișinău, Metropolitan of Bessarabia, and Exarch of the Territories, received His Excellency Dr. Turki bin Abdullah Zaid Al-Mahmoud, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Moldova, on Wednesday at the Metropolitan Residence in Chișinău. The meeting took place in an atmosphere of mutual respect, openness, and shared…

Jun 28, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarch receives Israel’s Ambassador for courtesy visit

On Monday, November 25, 2024, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania welcomed His Excellency Mr. Lior Ben Dor, the Ambassador of Israel to Romania, for a courtesy visit at the Patriarchal Residence in Bucharest. Patriarch Daniel praised Ambassador Ben Dor’s extensive diplomatic experience and highlighted the excellent relations between Romania and Israel. A pertinent example…

Nov 26, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

US canonical bishops meet in Atlanta: prayers for peace in Middle East and Ukraine

The Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States gathered in Atlanta from September 28 to October 1 for their 13th General Assembly. Twenty-nine hierarchs representing various Orthodox Churches in the United States of America attended the meeting. His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae represented the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of the Americas. The Assembly reiterated its call for…

Oct 9, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Middle East Orthodox Primates to meet again in Nicosia

The four Primates of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches in the Middle East will meet a second time in Nicosia in the near future in an effort to find a solution for the ecclesial issue of Ukraine. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria addressed for the first time the issue of granting autocephaly to Ukraine in…

Jun 25, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Primates of Orthodox Churches in Middle East release statement following meeting in Cyprus

Four Primates of Autocephalous Orthodox Churches in the Middle East met at the headquarters of the Archdiocese of Cyprus in Nicosia where they discussed inter-Orthodox topics on Thursday, April 18, 2019. The conclusions of the meeting were summarized in a joint statement signed by the four religious leaders. Statement by Primates of Orthodox Churches in…

Apr 19, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu