Patriarch Daniel of Romania honored institutions and individuals who contributed to the organization of the 2026 International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO) during a ceremony at the Patriarchal Palace on Thursday.
The Patriarch thanked all those involved in the event and highlighted the effective cooperation between public institutions and the Romanian Orthodox Church.
“We thank those who helped us, and we hope for continued cooperation whenever there is a need to organize events that are useful and full of blessing and joy for the Church and society,” Patriarch Daniel said.
He also expressed hope that a future Orthodox youth gathering in Bucharest could be hosted at the planned Saint Elijah the Tishbite Youth Center in Pantelimon, which is to be built with European funding.
“This project, supported by European funds, is very important because young people are not only the future of society and the Church; they are the bright present of today,” the Patriarch said.
“Youth is not determined by biological age, but by the enthusiasm and joy with which someone lives their life and remains active in the family, religious community, Church, society and the life of the people,” he added.
A meeting of 2,400 young people
During the ceremony, Patriarchal Adviser Fr Nicușor Beldiman recalled that ITO Bucharest 2026 brought together 2,400 young people from August 31 to September 3.
Participants came from dioceses of the Romanian Patriarchate in Romania and the diaspora, as well as from sister Orthodox Churches. The gathering also involved 500 volunteers from the Archdiocese of Bucharest.
Beldiman said the meeting created a space where young people from different backgrounds, countries and experiences could pray together, openly discuss the challenges facing their generation and discover how the experience of one community could become a source of inspiration for others.
Institutions and participants honored
Among the institutions decorated by Patriarch Daniel were Romania’s State Secretariat for Religious Affairs, Bucharest City Hall, Sector 2 City Hall, the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, the University of Bucharest and ARCUB – the Cultural Center of Bucharest.
Distinctions were also presented to Andreea Ogăraru and Professor Radu Ciprian Țincu, who addressed the conference “Youth and Family in Today’s Society.”
Several other institutions and individuals involved in organizing and supporting the gathering received the Honorary Year Diploma and Medal in recognition of their contribution to ITO Bucharest 2026.
Source: Basilica.ro Photo: Basilica / Raluca Ene
