pastoral care of the sick

Romanian Patriarch Daniel: Strong faith, prayer and fasting drive out demons

“Strong faith, persistent prayer, and complete fasting drive out demons,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church said on Sunday at the historic St George Chapel of the Patriarchal Residence in Bucharest. The Romanian Patriarch explained that the disciples’ inability to heal the demon-possessed boy described in the Gospel was due to the…

Aug 10, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

The Church Alongside the Sick: A Year in Review on Healing

Observing the accelerated increase in recent years of people affected by both classic diseases and multiple addictions, the Romanian Orthodox Church dedicated the year now concluding to the pastoral care and assistance of the sick. The declaration of the “Solemn Year of Pastoral Care and Assistance of the Sick” and the “Commemorative Year of all…

Dec 20, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel highlights link between medicine and Christian spirituality at EABM Conference

Addressing the 17th Annual Meeting of the Euro-Asian Society of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (EABM), held from October 17 to 20 in Iași, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church pointed to the importance of cooperation between medical science and Christian spirituality. He emphasized that both fields share a common goal: healing the sick. Patriarch…

Oct 23, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Clergy Conference of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of the Americas explores psycho-spiritual health and pastoral care

The Clergy Conference of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of the Americas was held at the Romanian Orthodox Parish in Mississauga, Ontario, from August 22 to August 24, 2024. The event convened monastics, priests, and deacons from various parts of the city to engage in a conversation about pastoral themes and psycho-spiritual health. Bishop Ioan Casian…

Aug 27, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina urges Christians to build special bonds with the vulnerable

On Sunday, Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina emphasised the importance of forming special bonds with those in need to appreciate God’s blessings. He delivered this message at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iași while discussing the Gospel reading about the healing of the paralytic, who was brought to Jesus by his friends because he was…

Aug 7, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

The role of the spiritual father in healing addictions: Insights from Jean-Claude Larchet

The renowned French Orthodox theologian Jean-Claude Larchet discussed the importance of the spiritual father in the healing process of addictions in an interview published in the 17th issue of the “Words to Young People” magazine by Putna Monastery. The importance of relationships in healing addictions When asked, “How important is the relationship with a person…

Aug 7, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

25 Quotes on Suffering and Healing by Patriarch Daniel

To mark the 2024 Solemn Year of pastoral care of the sick, Basilica.ro has compiled a selection of 25 quotes about suffering and healing from His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel. 1. “God desires to heal the whole of a person’s being; receiving His teaching is itself a condition for healing. From the Holy Scriptures, we clearly…

Jul 26, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel’s message to Bucharest clergy: Pastoral care of the sick is a fulfilment of the Lord’s word and a missionary priority

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered a speech on Monday at the opening of the Pastoral-Missionary Conference of the clergy in the Archdiocese of Bucharest, titled “Pastoral Care and Assistance of the Sick is a Fulfillment of the Lord’s Word and a Missionary Priority.” His Beatitude highlighted the main aspects concerning the pastoral care of those…

Jun 5, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel’s message for World Day of the Sick

On February 11, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel sent a message in observance of World Day of the Sick, highlighting that health is a divine blessing and a gift from God. The message comes in the context of 2024, designated by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church as a Solemn Year of pastoral care…

Feb 12, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

2024 Solemn Year Icon: Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, the Physician of our souls and bodies

The representative icon of the Solemn Year of the pastoral care of the sick in the Romanian Patriarchate depicts our Lord Jesus Christ carrying a lamb on His shoulders. The icon includes the inscription “IC XC (Jesus Christ), the Good Shepherd, the Physician of our souls and bodies” and was exhibited for veneration inside the…

Jan 8, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Proclamation Act for Romanian Patriarchate’s 2024 Solemn and Commemorative Year: full text

The Romanian Patriarchate designated 2024 as the Commemorative Year of all the holy unmercenary healers and the Solemn Year of the Pastoral Care of the Sick. The Patriarch of Romania presided over the proclamation ceremony at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, following the solemn Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great on New Year’s Day.…

Jan 4, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu