Solemn Year 2019

Parliament establishes national day celebrating Romanian village

Romania’s Parliament established a new national day celebrating the Romanian village. As provided by law 44/2020, the day, which was declared on April 3, sets aside the last Sunday of September as the Romanian Village Day. The law provides that the Day of the Romanian Village can be organized by the authorities of the central…

Apr 13, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox Church reviews 2019 activities during solemn session of Holy Synod

A solemn meeting of the Holy Synod was organized on Monday at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest during which the main activities carried out by the Romanian Orthodox Church related to this year’s solemn and commemorative topics were reconsidered. The meeting was chaired by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel at the Patriarch Teoctist Aula Magna. The…

Oct 29, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch, clergy dressed in vestments with traditional motifs to highlight role of Romanian village

This week, the priests at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest are wearing special vestments with traditional motifs to highlight the importance of the Romanian village as keeper of the country’s traditions, culture and spirituality. The start was given last Sunday when His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel celebrated the Divine Liturgy dressed in the hierarchical ‘folk costume’.…

Oct 23, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel urges faithful to become steadfast missionaries: Tell how much good God has done for you

Everyone should become a steadfast missionary and announce the divine help received in the community where they live and carry out their activity, Patriarch Daniel urged during his Sunday homily at the Patriarchal Cathedral. The Patriarch of Romania gave the example of the Gerasene demoniac who, after being healed by Christ, was told to remain…

Oct 21, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel re-consecrates Bucharest church where ‘village and city gather in joy of communion’

The Patriarch of Romania on Sunday officiated the re-consecration of a church in the Aparatorii Patriei neighbourhood in Bucharest, saying that in that place ‘the village and the city gather in the joy of communion.’ Romanian village, a blessed place In his sermon, Patriarch Daniel referred to the Romanian village as a ‘blessed place’ that…

Sep 22, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Basilica.ro Exhibition on Romanian Village to be launched in Sweden this October

The Basilica.ro photo exhibition titled ‘The Portrait of the Romanian Village’ will be opened at the Romanian Cultural Institute in Stockholm this October. The event is organised by the Basilica News Agency, in cooperation with the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Northern Europe and the Romanian Cultural Institute in Stockholm. The exhibition will be inaugurated by…

Sep 19, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Peter Hurley, the Irishman who fell in love with the Romanian village, to speak to Orthodox youth in Vaslui

Peter Hurley, an Irishman who fell in love with Romania’s villages and has been exploring the common ground of the Irish and Romanian cultures, will address young people in Vaslui at the opening of the local Orthodox Youth Meeting on Saturday, August 24, 2019. Peter Hurley says he fell in love with Romania forever in…

Aug 19, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Photos depicting the Portrait of the Romanian Village go on display in the US

Several photos of people living in Romania’s villages have gone on display for the first time at the Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Parish in Troy, Michigan. The Basilica.ro exhibition was opened on Sunday, June 16, 2019 with the help of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of the Americas on the patronal feast of the Troy parish.…

Jun 25, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel urges immediate action to save the Romanian village

During his opening remarks at the National Conference of Church Painting, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel urged for decisive action on saving Romania’s villages. ‘Let us not look nostalgically with that so-called mioritic passivity.’ ‘Let us take action with energy and responsibility to save the Romanian village and its priceless heritage,’ the Patriarch said on Monday.…

Jun 12, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarch opens national conference on church painting

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel on Monday, June 10, opened the works of the National Conference ‘Dogmatic unity and national specificity in church painting’ at the Patriarchal Palace with over 100 iconographers and church painters attending the event. The conference was organized by the Romanian Patriarchate’s Department for Culture and Religious Heritage and the Church Painting…

Jun 12, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel’s 7 proposals to improve current situation of Romania’s villages

During the 2019 Spring Clergy Conference on Monday, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel listed seven proposals to improve the current situation of the villages in Romania. Twinning programs between generous urban parishes and poor parishes in the rural area. This involves offering brotherly spiritual and material help. Encouraging book donations to organize libraries in the villages.…

May 15, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu