Aurelian Iftimiu

Monastic Pianist of Valaam Monastery plays music by Tchaikovsky

At the end of last year, Valaam Monastery posted a video with Monk Abel performing a part of Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers. The video gathered over 7600 likes on Valaam Monastery’s Instagram account and was viewed more than 140,000 times on YouTube. The “Waltz of the Flowers” (1892) is a piece of orchestral music…

Jan 14, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Popular Greek Singer Nikos Vertis: ‘I love Christ and I carry Him always in my soul’

Invited by Nikos Hatzinikolaou at the weekly informative show “Enopios Enopio,” the popular Dutch-Greek singer Nikos Vertis spoke about his faith and the relation with Christ. ‘I love Christ and I have Him always in my life,’ Nikos Vertis said, Romfea reports. ‘We are living times when youth is afraid to say “I believe in…

Jan 14, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

This is how Romanians in Zagreb celebrated Theophany: “By fasting and prayer we untie the Saviour’s sandals”

On the feast of Theophany, Father Nicolae Ceruta explained to the Romanians in Zagreb the meaning of the untying of the sandals of Christ’s feet, a sentence used by Saint John the Forerunner to describe his humble approach to the Saviour. ‘To untie someone’s sandals is on one hand an act of humility, and on…

Jan 14, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Cluj Metropolitan: A more serious environmental education is the natural consequence of what the Lord has done at Epiphany

Offering his reflections on the Church hymns on the feast of Theophany that point to the regeneration and renewal of nature made by Christ through His baptism into the waters, Metropolitan Andrei of Cluj said that a natural consequence is to care more about environmental education. ‘Christ the Lord, by being baptized in the Jordan…

Jan 13, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

In pictures: Feast of Theophany of the Lord at historic Putna Monastery

Hundreds of people attended the Great Blessing of Waters at Putna Monastery on this year’s feast of the Theophany of the Lord. The service was officiated by the monastery’s abbot, the Very Rev. Archimandrite Melchisedec Velnic. Photography courtesy of Putna Monastery / Iosif Andronic Follow us on Twitter: @BasilicaNews

Jan 13, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Baptism is adoption. Patriarch Daniel presents connection between our baptism and the Lord’s Baptism

Addressing the faithful at the patriarchal cathedral in Bucharest on the feast of the Theophany of the Lord, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel reflected on the connection between our baptism and the Baptism of the Lord. Concelebrants for the January 6 Divine Liturgy included the patriarchal auxiliary bishops Varlaam of Ploiesti and Ieronim of Sinaia. The…

Jan 13, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

See our 2019 Instagram Top Nine!

With 2020 upon us, we share with you some of the most beautiful and liked posts on our Instagram page. In our four-year activity on Instagram, our page has grown to about 13,000 followers, which indicates that a considerable number of people appreciate The Good to Know every day. Simona Halep won not only the…

Jan 4, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Holy Synod General Secretary officially announces solemn and commemorative themes for 2020

The New Year Day marked the beginning of the Solemn Year of Pastoral Ministry of Parents and Children and the Commemorative Year of Romanian Orthodox Philanthropists. Following the New Year Divine Liturgy presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, the general secretary of the Holy Synod, His Grace Bishop Varlaam of Ploiesti, read out the…

Jan 2, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel on New Year: Focus on spiritual side of life / St. Basil was a spiritual and practical man

The Patriarch of Romania stressed that it is more important to grow spiritually than biologically and materially at the start of the New Year. In his first homily of 2020, Patriarch Daniel offered his reflections on Christ’s childhood and referred to the life of Saint Basil, one of Christianity’s greatest universal teachers. ‘Jesus grew in…

Jan 2, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

On New Year’s Eve, Patriarch Daniel points to the Church’s liturgical time as provision for eternal life

In a special New Year’s Eve watch night service Tuesday, Patriarch Daniel offered a message encouraging people to see the liturgical time of the Church as a provision for eternal life. ‘The service officiated during the night at the turning of the year represents the proper attitude and action of an Orthodox Christian, that is,…

Jan 1, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Hundreds pack Patriarchal Cathedral for New Year 2020 watch night service

Hundreds of people spent the New Year eve attending the watch night service at the Holy Emperors Cathedral in Bucharest. Bucharest’s Patriarchal Cathedral was crowded by those who wanted to offer prayers of thanksgiving together with the Patriarch of Romania for the turn of the year. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel celebrated the 23.30 p.m. service.…

Jan 1, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu