Apostolic journey to Romania

3 Jun 2019

Pope Francis made an apostolic journey to Romania from 31 May to 2 June 2019. The visit was marked by various encounters with the Romanian Orthodox Church. Pope John Paul II's visit to Romania from 7-9 May 1999 was the first of a Pope to a country with an Orthodox majority.

On 31 May at the Patriarchal Palace, the Holy Father met Patriarch Daniel, firstly in private and later in the presence of the Permanent Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church. In response to Patriarch Daniel's words of welcome, the Holy Father spoke in his address of the "fraternity of blood" linking the two churches.

Pope Francis then went to the National Orthodox Cathedral in Bucharest where he was welcomed by Patriarch Daniel.

The Holy Father offered a meditation on the Lord's Prayer before its recitation firstly in Latin and then in Romanian.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, accompanied the Holy Father during the apostolic journey.

During the press conference on the return flight on 1 June, Pope Francis called to mind the ecumenical aspects of his visit.