Patriarch Daniel urges young people to bear witness to Christian values at ITO 2026 opening in Bucharest (EN/GR)

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel urged young people attending the 2026 International Orthodox Youth Meeting (ITO) in Bucharest on Tuesday to have the desire to courageously bear witness to Christian values.

The Patriarch of Romania emphasized that „the young Orthodox Christian who loves God and others discovers and bears witness to the truth that the Crucified and Risen Christ offers humanity His humble and merciful love—a love that frees us from selfishness and brings peace and joy into family life, friendship, and community”.

Full text:

We Joyfully Welcome You to the City of Joy!

The International Meeting of Young Orthodox People, organized in Bucharest from 31 August to 3 September 2026, brings together participants from different countries and represents an event of Christian communion and joy, a witness to Orthodox fraternity, as well as a concrete opportunity to intensify the mission of young people in the life of the Church today.

The theme of the meeting is Young People, Family and Life in Christ , with the event taking place in the context of The Solemn Year of Christian Family Pastoral Care and the Commemorative Year of the Holy Women in the Calendar…