social media

Bishop Sofronie urges more face-to-face communion: We don’t partake of Christ on Facebook or Instagram

His Grace Bishop Sofronie of Oradea has urged families and community members to interact in real life and rely less on social media. In his sermon delivered on the Sunday of Romanian Saints at the Hidișelu de Sus II Parish, Bishop Sofronie explained that human relationships suffer if they are limited to interactions in the…

Jun 25, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Ignatie of Huși expresses concerns about monks’ presence on social media

Although he is one of the few Romanian hierarchs active on social media, Bishop Ignatie of Huși expressed his scepticism regarding the use of social platforms during the diocese’s annual monastic synaxis on Tuesday. His Grace Bishop Ignatie began by referring to Saint Silouan the Athonite, commemorated on Sept. 24, who said, “A monk should…

Sep 27, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

From fame to monastic life: Greek TikToker quits social media and becomes a nun

With nearly 480,000 followers on TikTok, Eleni Mazlou has decided to dedicate her life to Christ and embrace monastic life. The 23-year-old influencer made the announcement by sharing photos from her monastic tonsure on social media. Before publicly revealing her new mission, the former content creator removed all posts from her personal channels that did…

Sep 17, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Ignatie: The Lenten season is conducive to using digital media as sparingly and wisely as possible

“The Lenten season is conducive to using digital media as sparingly and wisely as possible. I insist on this because, in this hyper-technological world in which we live, nothing creates addiction as technology does,” Bishop Ignatie of Husi stressed in his sermon at the diocesan Cathedral in Husi at the end of the Forgiveness Vespers…

Mar 19, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Basilica.ro: Distributing “The Good to Know” on social networks for eight years

The Facebook, X.com (formerly Twitter), and Instagram pages of the Basilica News Agency of the Romanian Patriarchate turn eight years old on Friday, October 20, 2023. They are the best examples of how anything can be used to do good. Numerous readers are exposed to articles about the Church’s philanthropy and those that promote facts…

Oct 20, 2023Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Ignatie: Let us also fast from using digital media

His Grace Bishop Ignatie officiated at Vespers on Sunday at the Diocesan Cathedral in Huși and emphasized that authentic fasting aims to dispassion. “Let us try to fast also from using digital media, by which we are all dominated and captive to what it offers us,” the Bishop of Huși explained. “Starting with this evening’s…

Mar 8, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel on World Social Media Day: A good word enlightens communication

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania has sent a message marking World Social Media Day 2021 highlighting responsible communication in the context of the challenges of today’s world. A good word enlightens communication: full text In the context of the pandemic, social networks proved to be a very useful missionary and pastoral means since, for…

Jun 30, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

For 5 years on social media: Five good reasons to follow us, one reason you should not

On October 20, 2015, the Basilica News Agency joined Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A bit late, indeed. But we made up for it. We have tens of reasons to invite you to join the Basilica.ro community. We’ve chosen only five reasons, hoping to be sufficient. If you’re not convinced, please write to us, wherever you…

Oct 22, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop of Huși: We live in an age of technology and another type of fasting is required, a media quarantine

His Grace Bishop Ignatie of Huși cautioned that in an age of technology we should extend our fasting rules to technology in order to gain spiritual peace during Lent. ‘We live in an age of technology and another type of fasting is required, a media quarantine,’ the Bishop of Huși stressed during Forgiveness Vespers marking…

Mar 5, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Archbishop Irineu reminds monastics that they don’t need a virtual identity

During the first-ever Monastic Assembly of the five dioceses within the Metropolis of Transylvania, the Archbishop of Alba Iulia highlighted the dangers of using social platforms for the spiritual life of monastics. “The contemporary monk doesn’t need a virtual identity in order to communicate with the world, even in their wish for mission,” the archbishop…

Oct 22, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

ITO 2019: Bishop Ignatie presses need for inner beauty in ‘a world of photomaniacs’

The International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO 2019) moved on Sunday to Maglavit Monastery. There, the over 4,000 young people attended the consecration service of the monastery’s church and the Divine Liturgy. In his sermon, Bishop Ignatie of Husi told the Orthodox youth that inner beauty becomes increasingly deficient ‘in a world of photomaniacs.’ His…

Sep 9, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu