Solemn Year 2022

Patriarch Daniel: Christmas carols are hymns and prayers of the right-believing Romanian people

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church attended the traditional carol concert of the Romanian Patriarchate titled “The Orient from on High,” organised by the Basilica Media Centre at the Patriarchal Palace on Friday, December 16, 2022. The Patriarch of Romania addressed those present, highlighting the importance of Christmas carols. “In this Solemn…

Dec 19, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Banat Metropolitan distributes 30,000 prayer books to students

His Eminence Metropolitan Ioan of Banat is offering the students in his archdiocese a valuable Christmas gift this year. In all, 30,000 prayer books were donated by His Eminence to be distributed by local religion teachers, reports the Metropolis of Banat. The archpastor wanted every student in his diocese to “benefit from a prayer book, which…

Dec 16, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel offers remedy for secularisation during Bucharest monastic synaxis

During the annual assembly of the superiors of all monasteries within the Archdiocese of Bucharest, which took place last Thursday at the Patriarchal Palace, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel shared his thoughts on prayer, hesychasm, and the antidote to secularisation. The most concise and intense prayer “The first duty of a monk or nun is to…

Nov 28, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Holy Synod urges more prayer during Nativity Fast: It brings peace to our souls and world

In a pastoral letter for the first Sunday of the Nativity Fast, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church stressed that the multiplication of prayer is necessary. The Romanian hierarchs emphasised that despite the world’s current crisis, prayer has intensified in the life of the Church and the faithful. The Synodal fathers explained that…

Nov 18, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

It’s not too early to start thinking about the Nativity Fast

At the end of the Solemn Year of Prayer and the Commemorative Year of the Hesychast Saints, you have another opportunity to pray more, calm and recharge your soul with the words of the Holy Scripture and the Holy Fathers of the Church: the Nativity Fast that begins in two weeks. The Nativity Fast “is…

Nov 3, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel on grace and hesychasm: St Gregory Palamas was a fruit of St Paul’s exhortation to pray unceasingly

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel spoke on Thursday about St. Demetrius the New as a hesychast saint and outlined his connection with the believers on both banks of the Danube River. His Beatitude also referred to St. Gregory Palamas, the Archbishop of Thessaloniki, and described him as a fruit of the work of grace among the…

Oct 28, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel’s address for welcoming the relics of St Gregory Palamas to Bucharest

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel addressed the pilgrims on Monday upon the reception of the relics of St. Gregory Palamas at the Patriarchal Cathedral. The relics were brought by a delegation of the Orthodox Church of Greece, led by Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veria, Naoussa and Kampania. Patriarch Daniel’s address for welcoming the relics of Saint Gregory…

Oct 25, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

St Gregory Palamas relics arrive in Bucharest: We are called to be co-workers with God, says Patriarch Daniel

The relics of St. Gregory Palamas arrived on Monday on the Patriarchate’s Hill for the festivities of St. Demetrius the New, the patron saint of Bucharest. St Gregory’s relics were placed for veneration in an outdoor baldachin next to the other relics usually kept in the Patriarchal Cathedral. “All these saints are calling us to…

Oct 24, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Iași: 20,000 people process with relics of Saints Paraskeva and Paisius

Tens of thousands of Romanian Orthodox faithful came out for a procession with the relics of two of the most beloved Romanian saints through the streets of Iași on Sunday evening. The feast of St. Paraskeva, October 14, is traditionally one of the most significant religious events in Romania, drawing pilgrims from throughout Romania and…

Oct 12, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel opens international theology symposium on prayer

The International Theology Symposium on “The role of prayer in the ecclesial and personal life of believers” began on Monday with His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel congratulating the organisers and greeting the attendees. His Beatitude hoped that “this academic event will contribute to the promotion of prayer as a state of encounter and conversation between man…

Oct 11, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Solemn Year of Prayer: Holy Synod establishes new Patriarchal Order of the Praying Theotokos

During its working session last week, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church established a new Order of the Praying Theotokos (Virgin Orans). “This order is fundamental to highlighting the importance of prayer this year. The Mother of God is generally depicted with the Child on her left arm, near her heart, and with…

Oct 3, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu