Pope Benedict Wants to Visit Romania

Romanian Ambassador to the Vatican Marius Gabriel Lazurca says that Pope Benedict XVI wants to visit Romania and honor the invitation made by President Traian Basescu, Lazurca said in an interview.

It’s been just over ten years since a Pope came to Romania. On May 7, 1999 Pope John Paul II began an historic visit to Romania, the first time a Pope had visited a predominantly Orthodox country in a thousand years.

Pope John Paul II hoped his visit would move the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity, separated in 1054, closer together.

A decade later, Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his wish to visit Romania but this is only possible after a visit by Daniel, the current Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) to Italy. The BOR must first visit the Vatican and invite the Pope.

The invitation by President Traian Basescu in Sept. 2006 to the sovereign pontiff to visit Romania was approved by the late Patriarch Teoctist. According to custom, the invitation extended by the Romanian Orthodox Church must be renewed by the new Patriarch Daniel.

‘As for when such a visit might take place, it is difficult to say at present; the sure thing is that we can count on the Pope’s kindness and on his sincere wish for such a visit to take place,’ Lazurca stressed.

He pointed out that the affection Pope Bendict XVI has for Romania is based on ‘the awareness of the suffering seen by the Catholic Church in Romania during the communist times, also fed by the gratitude for the Catholic Church’s followers who stayed faithful despite the persecution.’

He pointed out that the BOR invitation to the Pontiff was delayed after Daniel took up the Patriarch’s role, given that the new Romanian Patriarch did not see ecumenical dialogue as a main priority when he took office.

‘It is obvious that Patriarch Daniel’s absolute priority is to lay down a program of action for the BOR in Romania and secondly to plan in concert with the other Orthodox churches. The ecumenical dialogue, while undoubtedly important to the current patriarch, who is an expert in this field, is a priority but not as important as the one I first mentioned,’ Lazurca said.

When asked when Patriarch Daniel might go to the Vatican, Lazurca said it was likely in the near future.