Solemn Year 2026

ITO 2026 to gather 2,400 Orthodox young people in Bucharest for prayer, dialogue and fellowship

The International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO), the largest youth event organised by the Romanian Orthodox Church, will take place in Bucharest from 31 August to 3 September 2026 under the theme “Young People, the Family and Life in Christ”. With the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, this year’s gathering will bring together approximately…

Aug 26, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel urges Christian education and support for disadvantaged pupils as new school year begins

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel blessed pupils, parents and teachers at the start of the 2026–2027 school year and encouraged families, churches, and schools to cultivate faith and Christian values. The Patriarch of Romania highlighted Religious Education’s contribution to pupils’ personal, moral, and spiritual formation, stressing that education should develop not only knowledge but also skills,…

Aug 26, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox bishop in Australia urges families to teach children the faith

His Grace Bishop Mihail of Australia and New Zealand served on Sunday at the Romanian Orthodox Parish of the Holy Brâncoveanu Martyrs in Sydney, Australia. “Let us teach our children our Orthodox Christian faith,” His Grace said. The hierarch celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with His Grace Bishop Iachint of the Pacific, Assistant Bishop of…

Aug 18, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel urges support for Romanian families abroad on Migrants’ Sunday

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church has called for stronger spiritual and family ties with Romanians living abroad, saying Orthodox parishes in the diaspora have become places where migrants can preserve their faith, language and cultural identity. In a message for the Sunday of Romanian Migrants, observed this year on 16 August,…

Aug 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian priest’s wife in Germany says diaspora ministry requires balancing parish mission and family life

Mihaela-Iuliana Păun is the wife of Fr. Ionuț Păun, the parish priest of the Romanian Orthodox Church dedicated to St. Parascheva and the Holy Martyrs Kilian, Coloman, and Totnan in Bamberg, Germany. She has lived there for almost seventeen years together with her husband and their four children. She teaches German in adult education, and…

Aug 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Assistant Bishop Timotei: Seek the light through constant spiritual struggle against darkness

“Let us seek the light through a constant struggle against darkness,” His Grace Timotei of Prahova, Assistant Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, urged the faithful on Sunday at the Patriarchal Cathedral. Reflecting on the Gospel reading for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, the bishop explained that the power of evil is limited and that…

Aug 10, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Macarie urges faithful to entrust families to the Mother of God during Dormition Fast

“Let us entrust our families, our children and young people, our parents and the elderly, the sick and the lonely, our homes, our journeys, our worries, our trials, and all our needs to the Mother of God,” Bishop Macarie of Northern Europe said in a message marking the beginning of the Dormition Fast. The bishop…

Aug 3, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Icon found intact after house fire offers hope to Romanian family of six children

A partially preserved icon discovered inside a home destroyed by fire has become a symbol of hope for a family with six children in Agafton, Botoșani County, after firefighters found it among the ruins. “Sometimes, even after the greatest disaster, something remains to remind us not to lose hope. This icon was found by firefighters…

Jul 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian, European prison chaplains meet to share pastoral best practices

Prison chaplains from Romania and several European countries gathered for the International Conference “Best Practices in Conducting Moral and Religious Activities in Prisons in Romania and Europe,” held last week in Timișoara, Arad and Deva. The conference opened on 30 June at Timișoara Prison with a Te Deum service officiated by Orthodox prison chaplains, led…

Jul 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Ioan Casian: Diocese of Canada Congress seeks God’s will for Church and communities

“This is not merely an administrative meeting or an occasion to present activity reports, but a moment of ecclesial responsibility, in which we seek together to discern God’s will for the life of the Church and for the communities we serve,” said Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada at the Congress of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese…

Jul 7, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel calls Romanian diaspora youth ambassadors of the Christian faith and national values

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church has encouraged Romanian children and young people living abroad to remain faithful ambassadors of Christianity and Romanian values, emphasising the importance of preserving their language, cultural heritage and spiritual roots through active ties with their homeland. In an official message addressed to participants in the 17th…

Jul 7, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu