On Friday, 29 September 2017, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, welcomed His Eminence Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Vatican’s Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, who is currently paying an official visit in Romania. The Apostolic Nuncio to Romania, His Excellency Miguel Maury Buendía attended the meeting.
Cardinal Sandri expressed his joy of meeting His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel and conveyed greetings on behalf of Pope Francis and the College of Cardinals.
Cardinal Sandri appreciated the important pastoral and missionary work carried out in Italy by the Romanian Patriarchate through His Grace Siluan, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Italy.
His Eminence also appreciated the project of the National Cathedral, which is currently being built in Bucharest.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel thanked Cardinal Leonardo Sandri for the good ties between the two Churches resulting in several Romanian Orthodox communities being hosted in Italy and in granting scholarships to young Orthodox theologians.
The Romanian Patriarch appreciated the good collaboration between the Patriarch Justinian Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest and the Pontifical Oriental Institute regarding the access granted to Romanian Orthodox students who attend Orthodox Theology courses in Rome to use the Institute’s library.
During the meeting, the parts discussed topics such as the social and pastoral challenges of the migration phenomenon, the accelerated secularization, and the need to reaffirm the European Christian identity.
Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate