“History bears witness that, despite many trials, failures and sins, the Georgian people have never strayed from the path of Christ,” His Beatitude Patriarch Shio III of Georgia said on Wednesday at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, Georgia. The Primate of the Georgian Orthodox Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy, joined by hierarchs representing sister Orthodox Churches.…
His Eminence Honorary Metropolitan Nifon, Archbishop of Târgoviște and Patriarchal Exarch, was received on Tuesday at the Patriarchal Residence in Tbilisi by His Beatitude Patriarch Shio III of Georgia. During the meeting, Hon Metropolitan Nifon conveyed His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel’s fraternal greetings to Patriarch Shio III. The Primate of the Georgian Orthodox Church received a…
“St. Paraskeva has become a living bond within the Orthodox family of the Balkans, a common mother and protector of peoples who speak different languages but pray with the same faith and the same heart,” Metropolitan Dimitrios of France and Exarch of Europe (Ecumenical Patriarchate) said on Wednesday at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iași. The…
His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, transmitted a message to Patriarch Shio III of Georgia on Wednesday, as the Georgian Orthodox Church marks 1700 years since Christianity became state religion in Georgia. Patriarch Daniel emphasized that “anthe anniversary of 1700 years since Christianity became the state religion in Georgia is not merely…
His Grace Bishop Lucian of Caransebeș, the Ethos Byzantine Chant Group of the Diocese of Caransebeș and young pan flute player Viorel Papuc, a student of renowned musician Gheorghe Zamfir, were guests at Orthodox Days in Méhkerék, Hungary, on 10–11 October. His Grace Bishop Siluan of Hungary and the Romanian Orthodox Parish of Méhkerék (Micherechi)…
Hieromonk Policarp Athenagoras, abbot of Canada’s only Romanian Orthodox monastery, visited the Orthodox community in Timmins, Ontario, in early October. The cleric made a round trip of more than 1,350 kilometres to join the faithful at the Dormition of the Mother of God Parish. The programme included prayer, liturgical services and meetings with members of…
The Palace of the Patriarchate in Bucharest will host the National Conference “Doctrinal Unity and National Distinctiveness in Church Painting” in November, bringing together specialists in iconography, church painting, architecture and restoration. Now in its 13th edition, the Romanian Patriarchate’s Church Painting Commission will organise the conference on 12–13 November. This year’s theme is Church…
Monday marked 30 years since Iași received the relics of the Holy Apostle Andrew for the feast of St. Parascheva. The historic event drew more than one million faithful to the city, Moldavia’s traditional capital. The reliquary containing the Honourable Skull of the Holy Apostle Andrew arrived on 12 October 1996, accompanied by a delegation…
The hierarchs of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece discussed loneliness in contemporary society and its pastoral implications last week, with eight measures proposed to help address social isolation through communities of faith. Metropolitan Dorotheos of Syros, Tinos, Andros, Kea, Milos, Delos and Mykonos presented a paper entitled The Pastoral Care of Loneliness…
Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia and more than 100 clergy gathered on Sunday to pray for families at the statue of St Stephen the Great in central Chișinău during a family march, “Rooted in Tradition”, organised by the Archdiocese of Chișinău. They were joined by approximately 1,000 faithful. His Eminence prayed for God’s blessing upon families,…
“The Christian family rediscovers its vocation to be a light in contemporary society, a living witness to Christ’s love and a foretaste of the Kingdom even in the midst of the world,” said Archbishop Atanasie of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. His Eminence participated on Tuesday in the first session of presentations at the International…
His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, wished Pope Leo XIV good health on Monday. The Pope recently announced that he would undergo surgery to remove a very early-stage and well-localised lung nodule. Full text: Bucharest, 12 October 2026 His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Vatican Your Holiness, In these challenging moments, we pray…
“The Christian family remains one of the fundamental settings in which faith is passed on, not because it automatically guarantees religious continuity, but because it is where children first encounter concrete expressions of communion, responsibility and a relationship with God,” Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie of Sinaia said on Tuesday at the International Theological Symposium in…
An international conference examining the Holy and Great Council of Crete began in Chantilly, France, on Monday, 5 October, marking the tenth anniversary of the landmark Orthodox Church gathering. The International Scientific Conference, titled The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church (2016–2026): Assessment and Prospects, was organised by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and ran…
The International Theological Symposium, titled “The Christian Family – Light and Witness in Contemporary Society”, opened on Tuesday in the Patriarch Teoctist Aula Magna at the Palace of the Patriarchate in Bucharest. Among those attending were His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel; Fr Wilhelm Dancă, Vice-President of the Romanian Academy and representative of its President, Marius Andruh;…
Romanians in Japan are continuing work on the church at the country’s first Orthodox cemetery, which they established in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi Prefecture. “Today, we managed to complete the iconostasis and install the icons painted in Romania by Andrei Neguș,” Fr Daniel Corîu of the Romanian Orthodox Parish in Tokyo reported on social media. The church’s…
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel received a delegation of clergy from the Diocese of Dacia Felix at the Patriarchal Residence on Thursday. The delegation was led by Fr Boian Alexandrovici, Romanian Orthodox Vicar of the Timok Valley. The delegation included Fr Doru Ovidiu Ursu, secretary of the vicariate and the Deanery of Bor and Lăpușnea; Fr…
The Romanian Patriarchate notes with concern the draft legislation proposing to decriminalise certain offences related to possessing drugs for personal use and believes any changes in this area must prioritise protecting the gift of life, personal health, and the well-being of families and communities. Particular attention must be paid to children and young people, who…
The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece devoted particular attention on Wednesday to an increasingly relevant issue: the online presence of clergy. Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Chalkida outlined the benefits and risks of online pastoral ministry, along with several guiding principles, in a presentation to the Synod. “I believe that reality itself has given a…
The Romanian Orthodox Community in Nicosia, Cyprus, has launched a mobile app designed to make official community information more accessible to the faithful. The app, called COR Nicosia, provides schedules of church services celebrated in Romanian, along with articles, spiritual reflections, news, and the community’s video library. It also sends notifications about newly published articles…