ITO 2026 concludes at National Cathedral, Iași to host next gathering in 2028

The 2026 International Meeting of Orthodox Youth ( ITO 2026 ) concluded on Thursday at the National Cathedral with the Divine Liturgy and a ceremony handing over the torch to the Archdiocese of Iași, which has been designated to organise the next gathering.

Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishops Varlaam of Ploiești and Paisie of Sinaia celebrated the service, along with Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova of the Archdiocese of Bucharest. Metropolitan Agathonikos of Arusha and Central Tanzania of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa and Bishop Macarie of Northern Europe also attended the service.

The 2,400 young participants and volunteers at the gathering, as well as other worshippers, attended the service, the first Divine Liturgy celebrated at the National Cathedral this year.

Crisis of the family His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel addressed a message to the young people in which he emphasised that “the conjugal family and the ecclesial family are icons of the love of the Holy Trinity and blessings for humanity”.

His Beatitude warned that the natural, traditional conjugal family is facing a crisis and shifting toward an uncertain and confused future.

“Materialistic…