Bishop Timotei of Sătmar ordained to eagerly fulfil ‘the mission of the Good Shepherd’

The Very Rev. Archimandrite TimoteiBel was ordained Sunday, 24 June

2018, to the Episcopate during the Di-vine Liturgy celebrated at themonastery of St John the Forerunnerfounded by him at Scărișoara.His Eminence Metropolitan Andrei ofCluj, Maramureș, and Sălaj presidedover the festive Divine Liturgy and offi-ciated the episcopal consecration, urg-ing the newly-ordained Bishop Timoteiof Sătmar to fulfil eagerly ‘the missionof the Good Shepherd’.By synodal resolution, His Grace Timo-tei of Sătmar was appointed AssistantBishop to the Diocese of Maramuresand Sătmar.The bishop said that he will ask forGod’s help to fulfil this calling and toshow himself worthy of the honour hewas called to. ▶

Bishop Timotei of Sătmar:‘In my entire ministry, I tried to be one who unites and not one who divides. Thus I will do from now on too’.

Basilica News Agency celebrates10th anniversary

DMOPC18: Jean-Claude Larchet calls for abstinencefrom social media during fasting periods ▶ pg. 5

Saturday, 16 June 2018, the Romanian Patriarchate’s Basilica News Agency cele-brated its 10th anniversary of online media ministry.The Basilica News Agency was established as department in 2007. However, theBasilica.ro website was launched on 16 June 2008, thus the first Orthodox newswirein Romania began its activity.The Basilica News Agency (BNA) is one of the five departments of the Basilica MediaCentre of the Romanian Patriarchate together with Trinitas TV, Radio Trinitas, Lumina Newspaper, and the Patriarchate’s Press Office. ▶

PATRIARCHPatriarch Daniel blesses foundationstone of military church at Ministry ofNational Defence ▷3SOCIALRomanian Patriarchate’s SpokespersonVasile Bănescu tells Romanian Chris-tians not to be afraid ▷2AUTOCEPHALUS CHURCHESFive-hour talks at the Phanar on the au-tocephaly of the Ukrainian Church ▷2ROMANIAN PATRIARCHATEPatriarch Daniel re-consecrates 517-yearold Dealu Monastery, ‘an important land-mark of Romanian national identity’ ▷2DIOCESESRomanian Confessor under communistregime Archimandrite Mina Dobzeu laidto rest at Huși Cathedral ▷3

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Romanian Patriarchate’s Spokesperson Vasile Bănescu tells Romanian Christians not to be afraid

During a RVE Timisoara radio programthe spokesperson of the Romanian Pa-triarchate, Vasile Banescu, has sent amessage of encouragement and solidar-ity to all Christians in Romania saying,‘Do not be afraid, because the Truth thatis Christ Himself is always with us!’‘I want to send a message to all ourChristian brothers and sisters in Ro-mania. They must look at everything thatis happening around us today! Theymust have eyes to see and ears to hear. We must take an elegant attitude, but a firm attitude, to this ideological pressure meant to sideline this people’s

natural Christian values and to re-place them with false values, with an ide-ology.’‘Their attempts, beyond intimidation, aimat inducing fear in the face of somepossible repercussions if you do notsubject yourself to the ideology. Donot be afraid, because we know thisfrom our Saviour. He is with us. Donot be afraid, as He says, becausethe Truth who is Christ Himself is always with us.’During the radio show, VasileBanescu spoke about the com-plaints filed against him at the Na-

tional Council for Combating Discrimina-tion (CNCD) regarding some statementsabout the pregnancy among youngwomen in Romania. ▶

Patriarch Daniel re-consecrated 517-year old Dealu Monastery, ‘an impor-tant landmark of Romanian national identity’

Marking its 517th anniversary, His Beatitude Pa-triarch Daniel re-consecrated Sunday, 10 June2018, the church of Dealu Monastery referring toit as ‘an important landmark of Romanian na-tional identity and unity’.The Patriarch of Romania said that this monasticsettlement is ‘the holy place keeping as in a reli-quary the honourable head of Ruler PrinceMichael the Brave, who made the first union ofthe Romanian Principalities, Wallachia, Transyl-vania, and Moldova, in 1600.’ The monastery’schurch was restored during 2010-2018. ▶

DMOPC18: Jean-Claude Larchet calls for abstinence from social media during fasting periodsChania, Crete, 18.06.2018 – During the first day of the In-ternational Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pas-toral Care in Crete (DMOPC18), the renowned theologianJean-Claude Larchet said that during the fast seasons Chris-tians ought to reduce their activity on social platforms.Larchet said that social networks ‘have invaded the lives ofcontemporary people and especially of today’s youth.’He said that there is a social pressure to compliance to so-cial media, since ‘one is almost obliged to have so as not to

be excluded from various social, ad-ministrative or economic groups or cir-cles. ’The addiction to social media,Larchet said, ‘often remains unper-ceived in less serious cases, sincehabit is capable of making what is notnormal appear to be so. For mostusers, the use has become abusive,’he noted Monday, June 18. ▶

Five-hour talks at the Phanar on the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church

Adelegation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriar-chate) met Saturday, 23 June 2018, with Ecumenical Patriarch

Bartholomew at his residence in Constantinople, where they held afive-hour meeting regarding the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church.Four members of the Standing Holy Synod of the canonical UkrainianOrthodox Church (UOC) went to the Phanar to discuss the initiativesmade for the issuing of the tomos of autocephaly and to report theUOC stance on this matter.The Ukrainian Bishops presented the current situation of the churchlife in Ukraine to His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.During the meeting, the Ecumenical Patriarch received the official in-vitation of HB Metropolitan Onuphry to appoint a representative to at-tend the festivities in honour of the 1030th anniversary of theChristianization of Rus that will take place at the end of July.

The communique states that the talks took place in an ‘open, constructive and fraternal’ atmosphere. After the five-hour meeting,statements were given to Ukrainian journalists present at the event. Full story ▶

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SVOTS donates $13k to non-profit partner ProVita in RomaniaA delegation from St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVOTS) presented last week a gift of $13,000to the Pro Vita Association for the Born and Unborn in Romania.The presentation of the gift fulfills a promise the Seminary made to tithe 10% of the totalfunds raised on #GivingTuesday to Pro Vita, the Seminary’s non-profit #GivingTuesdaypartner for 2017. Last year’s campaign from September through November yielded atotal of $126,000.SVOTS President Archpriest Chad Hatfield with Fr. Nicolae Tanase from Pro Vita InstitutePresident of SVOTS Archpriest Chad Hatfield traveled to Romania along with the Semi-nary’s Director of Web Services Alexandru Popovici, a native of Romania, to officiallypresent the gift to Pro Vita. Full ▶

Patriarch Daniel blesses foundation stone of military church at Ministry of National DefenceHis Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania blessed Friday, June 15,the foundation stone of a new military church that will be built at theMinistry of National Defence of Romania, in the presence of DefMinMihai Fifor.Addressing those present, Patriarch Daniel spoke about how im-portant it is to build a church for a specific community.‘The blessing of the church site, and the consecration of the churchbuilding itself represent a new gate to heaven, as we mentioned inthe prayers of blessing of the foundation stone,’ His Beatitude said.‘The opening of a new gate to heaven is a great blessing for thosewho had the desire to build a church, for those who contribute to its construction, and for all those who will come and pray in this church,’ the Patriarch added. ▶

African king baptized on Mt. Athos

An African king traveled to Holy Mt. Athos recently to be baptized into the holy Orthodox Church.It was initially reported by the Union of Orthodox Journalists only that an African kingwas baptized by Hieromonk Dionysius of Koutloumousiou Monastery with the Christian name of David.The king was subsequently identified as Tribal King Tchiffi Zae Jean Gervais of the Krou chieftains in Côte d’Ivoire. ▶

Romanian Confessor under communist regime Archimandrite Mina Dobzeulaid to rest at Huși Cathedral

Archimandrite Mina Dobzeu, a Romanian confessor of faith in communistprisons, was laid to rest at the Huși Cathedral Saturday, June 9, 2018.The hierarchical Divine Liturgy and the funeral service were held earlier atthe Sts Peter and Paul Cathedral in Huși.The services were led by His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia andBukovina, having as concelebrants Archbishop Teodosie of Tomis, Bishop Ig-natie of Huși, Bishop Antonie of Bălți, and the Assistant Bishop to the Arch-diocese of Suceava and Rădăuți, Damaschin of Dorna.At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the local Bishop Ignatie spoke about ElderMina, ‘who proved to be a worthy servant of God, an authentic con fessor in times of persecution, and a great intercessor in times hostile to ourChurch. ▶