Dioceses

St. Paraskeva draws thousands of faithful to Iași: “Without a longing for God, one cannot understand the pilgrimage”

Tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in Iași on Monday to celebrate the Feast of Saint Paraskeva. In his homily, Metropolitan Teofan emphasized that only those who share the pilgrims’ deep longing for God can truly understand their journey. The Divine Liturgy was held at the outdoor altar near the Metropolitan Cathedral, concelebrated by an…

Oct 16, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Varlaam explains the tradition of venerating holy relics: It does not lack biblical justification

On Monday, His Grace Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the “St Petka” Church in the Drumul Taberei neighbourhood of Bucharest. During the service, the Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop spoke about the tradition of venerating holy relics and emphasized the scriptural foundations of this practice. “This is not a gesture without…

Oct 15, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

New church in Republic of Moldova dedicated to St. Demetrius and the 250th anniversary of his relics’ translation to Romania

On Thursday, four Romanian bishops and one Bulgarian bishop consecrated a church in the village of Gotești, Cantemir District, Republic of Moldova, to honour Saint Demetrius the New. The consecration took place on the 250th anniversary of the translation of St. Demetrius the New’s relics to Bucharest. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel presented the “St. Demetrius…

Oct 11, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia leads patronal feast of St. John the Theologian Chapel in Chișinău

On Wednesday, His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the “St. John the Theologian” Metropolitan Chapel in Chișinău on the occasion of the chapel’s patronal feast. According to the unrevised calendar, the feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John is celebrated on October 9. The sermon was delivered by Father…

Oct 11, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Andrei at Cluj monastic synaxis: Asceticism does not weaken the body but rather strengthens it

On Thursday, His Eminence Metropolitan Andrei presided over the synaxis of monastics from the Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac, and Cluj, held at the “Protection of the Mother of God” Monastery in Florești. The gathering began with the Divine Liturgy, celebrated by Assistant Bishop Benedict of Bistrița. In his opening address at the monastic synaxis, Metropolitan…

Oct 11, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Prime Minister meets with Metropolitan of Bessarabia to discuss future projects

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu met with Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia at the Metropolitan Residence in Chișinău on Friday, October 4. During the visit, several upcoming projects of significant historical and symbolic importance were presented to the prime minister in the context of the Centennial of the Bessarabian Metropolis. The Metropolis will celebrate its 100th…

Oct 10, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Greece opens new embassy in Chișinău: Ambassador Nikolaos Krikos meets with Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia

His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia, Exarch of the Territories, welcomed His Excellency Nikolaos Krikos, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the Republic of Moldova, at the Metropolitan Residence in Chișinău on Wednesday. The meeting was held in light of the recent inauguration of the Greek Embassy in Chișinău. The dialogue focused…

Sep 26, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

The family, a sacred reality: Metropolitan Teofan’s message for 2024 Family Festival

“The family is a ‘sacred and blessed reality without which the normality of human life cannot be conceived,’ affirmed Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina in a video message ahead of the 2024 Family Festival. ‘Father, mother, and their children, a holy place from which a person departs into a society filled with great strength,…

Sep 12, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia encourages preservation of Romanian values in education

His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia issued a message at the beginning of the school year in the Republic of Moldova, urging all those involved in the educational process to preserve their spiritual and Romanian identity values. “In a school year marked by challenges and opportunities, let us remember our spiritual and Romanian identity values.…

Sep 12, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Southern Bessarabia Diocese: Evaluating past achievements and setting new goals

The Standing Diocesan Council of the Diocese of Southern Bessarabia met on September 5 at the diocesan headquarters in Cahul. The agenda included evaluating the activities of the past four years and setting pastoral, missionary, and catechetical priorities for the future. The meeting was chaired by His Grace Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia. In retrospect,…

Sep 12, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Paisie urges students to embrace responsibility at opening of Theological Seminary year

“Even if we had the most dedicated educators, the most loving parents, even if, by some miracle, we had the best government and the best schools in the world, none of this would help, would not matter, if you, the students, do not fulfil your part of the responsibility,” His Grace Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie…

Sep 12, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu