Nicolae Iftimiu, the archdeacon who brought “The Good to Know” to social media in the fight against “the Evil not worth knowing”

The Basilica News Agency of the Romanian Patriarchate celebrates ten years of presence on social media platforms—a decade dedicated to communicating “the Good to Know,” bearing witness to the faith, and fostering global connection.

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In a world where life has moved from the real to the online, not leaving the digital space to the “Evil not worth knowing” has become a social and mental health mission of the Church—beyond the roles of the Divine Liturgy or Confession.

Nicolae Iftimiu understood this mission of Basilica News Agency’s communication even when he was a layman and continued to strengthen it after being ordained to the diaconate in 2023.

Launched on October 20, 2015, the official pages of the Basilica News Agency on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram have become a window to the world, sharing news about the life of the Church, the words of hierarchs, and events of the Romanian Patriarchate in real time across all continents.

Archdeacon Nicolae Iftimiu is a graduate of the “Patriarch Justinian” Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest and of the Faculty of International Relations and Economics at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. Since September 2015, he has served as Director of the Basilica News Agency of the Romanian Patriarchate.
Photo: Raluca-Emanuela Ene / Basilica

The Good to Know” on X

With approximately 10,000 posts and around one million annual views, the @AgentiaBasilica (4,338 followers) and @BasilicaNews (5,450 followers, mostly international) accounts have brought together believers from Romania and abroad.

The @BasilicaPhotos account highlights professional images from pilgrimages and solemn services, such as the 2018 consecration of Romania’s National Cathedral, which generated numerous shares.

These figures show that, every day, Romanian Orthodox news and testimony are read by thousands of people from around the world.

“The Basilica News Agency needed to modernize its communication, and that is how we entered the social media space in 2015,” recalled Archdeacon Nicolae Iftimiu, Director of the Basilica News Agency.

“Although at that time the most used social network in Romania was Facebook, where we first began our digital presence, we also saw it as important to establish ourselves on X, then known as Twitter.”

“The Basilica News Agency has mainly used X to connect with journalists, representatives of state institutions and NGOs, and to highlight the work of Romanian ambassadors within their local communities,” the director added.

“The Good to Know” on Facebook

The Agency’s Facebook page (@basilica.ro) is its most followed account, with over 162,000 followers and millions of monthly views.

The Basilica News Agency page (@basilica.en), dedicated to English-language and occasionally multilingual content, brings together more than 15,000 readers from Romania and abroad, serving as an international voice of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

“The Good to Know” on Instagram

On Instagram, the Basilica News Agency account (@basilica.ro) is followed by 54,800 users — primarily young people — and features content that appeals to those interested in Orthodoxy.

In recent years, the Agency’s communication has expanded to other social platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Pinterest, Threads, and YouTube.

Gratitude to followers

“The anniversary of ten years on social media is a good occasion to first thank the colleagues who have consistently provided high-quality content for these platforms. We also thank the thousands of followers — among them state institutions, diplomats and embassies, journalists, and media organizations. Our collaboration through these platforms honors and encourages us,” said Archdeacon Nicolae Iftimiu.