Pastoral of the Holy Synod on the first Sunday of Lent of the Nativity 2026: The Christian family, the first school of communiontranslated

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church sent a pastoral letter to all believers in the Romanian Patriarchate, for the first Sunday of the Nativity Fast 2026.

Christmas Lent begins on November 15th and lasts until December 24th. It is a tradition for the members of the Holy Synod to address the clergy, monks and believers on the first Sunday of Lent, to convey some spiritual and practical exhortations for the celebration of the Incarnate Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ (December 25).

This year, the pastoral is also inspired by the tribute and commemorative theme of the pastoral care of the Christian family and of the holy women of the calendar (myrrh-bearers, martyrs, monks, wives and mothers).

About the tribute year, the hierarchs said: "The Christian family is the first school of communion, where the love between parents and children has as its model the love of the Most Holy Trinity".

Another theme addressed in the pastoral is the general proclamation of the canonization of the 16 Romanian holy women, celebrated in February at the Patriarchal Cathedral.

"Through their example, we understand that God worked in the Romanian people and through the prayers of mothers, through...