Jump to content

Basilica News Agency

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by AnomieBOT (talk | contribs) at 14:48, 11 October 2016 (Dating maintenance tags: {{Who}}). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.


File:Logo Agenţia de ştiri BASILICA .jpg
Founded: 27 October 2007
Launched: 16 June 2008
Industry: Media
Services: Online
Owner: Romanian Patriarchate
Headquarters: 4-6 Ecaterina Street
Director: Aurelian-Nicolae Iftimiu
Website: www.basilica.ro(Romanian version)

www.basilica.ro/en (English version)

Basilica News Agency is a media institution in Romania. Basilica News Agency is the official online news service of the Romanian Patriarchate, as part of the Basilica Press Centre – The Communication and PR Department of the Patriarchal Administration.

History

Basilica News Agency was founded as a department on 27 October 2007. The official website was launched on 16 June 2008. The event took place in Europa Christiana (Christian Europe) Hall of the Palace of the Patriarchate in Bucharest. The ceremony was opened with a Te Deum service officiated in the presence of Patriarch Daniel of Romania.[1]


The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church[who?] said, referring to the purpose of the inaugurated press service:

Christian mission means bringing Christ's Spirit to the world, into every home, in every institution where we work, to every job, on every path we walk.[2]

File:Lansarea-agentiei-de-stiri-basilica-a.jpg
Te Deum service

The website was updated several times in order to facilitate the access to information. The first change of the user interface was made in 2010.[3] Next, in 2012, the website was rebuilt entirely and relaunched during the solemn session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, held on 28 October 2012.[4] Another update version was made in 2014 and launched on the feast day of the BASILICA Press Centre, on 27 October.

The site currently operates on a wordpress platform. The current website was launched on 26 March 2016.[5]

An English version of the site has been available since the site originated.

The logo of the Basilica News Agency coincided with that of the Basilica Press Centre since its foundation until March 2016. The former logo presented the Patriarchal Cross surrounded by 5 concentric circles with different colours (blue, yellow, ruby, emerald, blue chalcedony), which symbolise the five components of the Press Centre. The News Agency was symbolised by emerald.[6]

The Basilica.ro Logo
The Basilica.ro Logo

After the change of the website in 2016, a specific logo was created for the News Agency. Generally conservative, the new logo contains the patriarchal cross surrounded by two red semicircles. The patriarchal cross symbolises the dynamics of the Church life in confessing the infinite love of the Most Holy Trinity.[7] The two semicircles are symbols of balance, but at the same time bring in mind the idea of movement, of dynamism. The red colour recalls the blood shed by Jesus Christ and His saints for the faith, being the strongest and most important colour in the range of colours. The colour is exciting, dynamic, and full of temper; it brings energy and vitality, and brings forth seriousness and dignity.

The role of the Basilica News Agency

The Basilica News Agency presents the activities and attitudes of the Romanian Orthodox Church regarding current problems. News and information are presented in electronic form and contain details regarding church life from home and abroad: activities of the Romanian Patriarch, decisions of the Holy Synod, activities undertaken by dioceses, monasteries, parishes, theological schools and ecclesiastical NGOs, dialogue between Church and society, inter-Orthodox cooperation, inter-confessional and inter-religious dialogues[8] etc.

Objectives

The main objective of the Basilica News Agency is to present especially religious information and events carried out within the Romanian Patriarchate, and also, in general, events that take place in the Orthodox world.[9]

Specific objectives:

  • To cultivate an active relationship, based on dialogue, between Church and society;
  • To maintain and develop the dialogue between Church and Orthodox youth;
  • To support Romanian traditional values;
  • To promote cultural and educational activities in society;
  • To communicate the Christian moral values to the society;
  • To promote education.

Motto

The first motto – Good news shared with everyone – was presented in 2008, once the website of the Basilica News Agency was launched. The phrase referred to the fact that the work of the News Agency is based on the original vocation of the Church to convey to the world the salvific Good News of Christ.[10]

The new motto – The good to know – was presented, in 2016, together with the new website of the Basilica News Agency. This motto summarizes in a simple and concentrated phrase the role and main objective of the News Agency of the Romanian Patriarchate, i.e. to promote religious information that is beneficial for the society.

Opinions about the activity of Basilica.ro

  • Patriarch Daniel called Basilica News Agency a kaleidoscope of everyday ecclesial reality,[11] which has fulfilled its vocation to inform and form ecclesial thinking.[12]
  • News.ro senior editor, Elvira Gheorghiță, about basilica.ro:

"You have made genuine values prominent again, through professionalism and dedication".[13]

  • Realitatea TV producer, George Grigoriu:

"Basilica.ro is a useful and accurate source of information; a source of information that addresses the reason, but also nourishes the soul"[14]

  • Metropolitan Serafim of Germany:

"The news website of the Church aims to faithfully reflect the truth that edifies people, strengthens their faith and encourages them to bear the everyday burdens".[15]

  • Editor in chief Orthodoxie.com, Rev. Fr. Christophe Levalois:

"The activity of the Basilica News Agency is an essential service for spreading Orthodoxy in the world today and for bearing an indispensable witness to its presence, activity and dynamics in the society".[16]

References

  1. ^ The Basilica News Agency of the Romanian Patriarchate was launched (16 June 2008). basilica.ro, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  2. ^ Cf. Bâra Ciprian (17 June 2008), The Spirit of Christ, shared to the world by word, by sound and by image, Lumina Newspaper, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  3. ^ Basilica News Agency has a new website (30 September 2016). Basilica.ro, last accessed 28 September 2016.
  4. ^ The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church in solemn session (28 October 2012). Basilica.ro, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  5. ^ Gheorghe Anghel (27 March 2016), Our new Website has been launched!, basilica.ro, last accessed 28 September 2016
  6. ^ Basilica News Agency – Images and words from the life of the Church (2013), p. 13;
  7. ^ †Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church (30 October 2012); The highest award in the Romanian Orthodox Church, Lumina Newspaper, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  8. ^ Basilica News Agency, p. 28;
  9. ^ Basilica News Agency, p. 21;
  10. ^ Basilica News Agency, p. 26;
  11. ^ †Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church (15 June 2013), Kaleidoscope of everyday Church reality. Basilica News Agency – 5 years of activity, basilica.ro, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  12. ^ † Daniel;
  13. ^ Gheorghe Anghel (16 June 2016). Thoughts and congratulations from our friends, basilica.ro, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  14. ^ Cf. Gheorghe;
  15. ^ Deacon Ştefan Sfarghie (16 June 2015). 7 years of basilica.ro, Lumina Newspaper, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  16. ^ Cf. Gheorghe;
  • Official website
  • The Basilica News Agency of the Romanian Patriarchate was launched (16 June 2008). Basilica.ro, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  • Bâra Ciprian. (17 June 2008). The Spirit of Christ, shared to the world by word, by sound and by image, Lumina Newspaper, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  • Basilica News Agency has a new website (30 September 2016). Basilica.ro, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  • The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church in solemn session (28 October 2012). Basilica.ro, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  • Gheorghe Anghel. (27 March 2016). Our new Website has been launched!, Basilica.ro, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  • † Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. (30 October 2012). The highest award in the Romanian Orthodox Church, Lumina Newspaper, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  • † Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. (15 June 2013). Kaleidoscope of everyday Church reality. Basilica News Agency – 5 years of activity, Basilica.ro, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  • Gheorghe Anghel. (16 June 2016). Thoughts and congratulations from our friends, Basilica.ro, last accessed 28 September 2016;
  • Deacon Ştefan Sfarghie. (16 June 2015). 7 years of basilica.ro, Lumina Newspaper, last accessed 28 September 2016;
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Basilica_News_Agency&oldid=743834567"