Solemn Year 2026

Romanian Orthodox clergy discuss challenges facing Christian family at Bucharest conference

Priests from the Archdiocese of Bucharest highlighted contemporary challenges facing the Christian family during the spring pastoral-missionary conference held on Monday at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest. The event opened with a Te Deum service celebrated by Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St Spyridon the New in Bucharest. The…

May 25, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox Church highlights support for families on Christian Family Sunday

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church instituted in 2009 a Sunday dedicated to the Christian family. It is observed on the Sunday closest to 15 May, which the United Nations designated as the International Day of Families. This year, Christian Family Sunday fell on 17 May, the feast day of the Holy Apostles…

May 18, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

International Day of Families highlights social inequality and child wellbeing in 2026

The International Day of Families is observed annually on 15 May. The theme for 2026 highlights the impact of social and economic inequalities on family life and child development. The International Day of Families is marked under a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993. The UN warns that many families face…

May 15, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania’s largest Byzantine music festival launches first international symposium on Church and family

The Iași Byzantine Music Festival will organise, for the first time, the International Symposium “The Church as a Singing Family in the Christian Tradition”, dedicated to the communal role of church music and the relationship between liturgical tradition and the Christian family. The event will take place from 23 to 28 May. Considered the largest…

May 12, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian charity priest says family dysfunction and isolation fuel addictions

Fr Alin Nica, coordinator of the hospital and charity clergy within the Archdiocese of Bucharest, said on Sunday in an interview with Radio România Cultural that many addictions emerge when dysfunctions exist within the family. The priest explained that interpersonal relationships are increasingly affected by today’s culture, which emphasises immediate, effortless satisfaction. “Many addictions appear…

May 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Child is ‘epiphany of divine gift, not biological accident’, Archbishop Irineu says at International Symposium

His Eminence Archbishop Irineu of Alba Iulia said on Monday that “the child is an epiphany of the divine gift, not a biological accident,” during the International Symposium on Science, Theology and Art (ISSTA), dedicated to reflection on family and Christian identity in a changing world. The event, held under the theme “Parenting, gender and…

May 6, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Archbishop Irineu blesses first gathering of priests’ wives group in Alba Iulia Archdiocese

His Eminence Archbishop Irineu of Alba Iulia blessed on Sunday the first gathering of the priests’ wives group in the Archdiocese of Alba Iulia, describing the new initiative as a call to communion, service and responsibility in the Church’s mission. “The priests’ wives group Saint Philotimia of Râmeț, recently established in the Archdiocese of Alba…

Apr 28, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian ambassador visits bishop in Republic of Moldova, backs identity and faith projects

His Grace Bishop Veniamin received the Romanian Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, Cristian-Leon Țurcanu, on Thursday for talks focused on support for Romanian communities, cultural identity, and church projects in southern Bessarabia. The bishop thanked the ambassador for his attention to Romanians in the region and for supporting identity-related initiatives, stressing the importance of…

Apr 24, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Varlaam praises Saint Callinicus as model shepherd at Cernica monastery patronal feast

“The Holy Hierarch Callinicus of Cernica strove to be a shepherd in the image of the Good Shepherd, Christ the Saviour,” Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești said on Bright Monday at Cernica Monastery. The bishop celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the feast of Saint Callinicus of Cernica and explained why the Gospel of the…

Apr 15, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox faithful gather in Chisinau for Resurrection service led by Metropolitan Petru

Numerous faithful gathered for the Feast of the Resurrection at the “Saint John Jacob the New Chozebite” Church in Chisinau, where the service was officiated by Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia. At midnight, the Holy Fire was distributed, followed by a procession around the church and the solemn proclamation of the Resurrection. During the service, the…

Apr 15, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Ioan Casian: ‘Joy is the first gift Christ offers the Myrrh-bearing Women’

“The first thing Christ wishes to share with the Myrrh-bearing Women early in the morning is joy,” writes Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada in his pastoral message for Holy Pascha. “Joy springs from the encounter with the Son of God, who grants us salvation. It is the shared joy of communion once lost and restored…

Apr 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu