Pope’s visit to Romania
The program of the Popes visit to Romania, over May 31st – June 2nd, has been officially announced
Roxana Vasile, 26.03.2019, 13:48
There are many
voices saying the Pope’s upcoming visit to Romania is a historic event. Let’s
not forget, though, that the extremely charismatic Sovereign Pontiff Saint John
Paul II visited Romania in 1999, being the first head of the Catholic Church to
ever set foot in a predominantly Orthodox country after the Great Schism of
1054.
Back then, the
Pope called Romania ‘The Garden of Virgin Mary’. Pope Francis’ apostolic visit
to Romania, between May 31st and June 2nd, with legs in
Bucharest, Iasi, Sumuleu-Ciuc and Blaj, will take place under the motto ‘Let’s walk
together’, which is a reference to the same expression used by Pope John Paul
II.
God’s people in
Romania live under the protection of Virgin Mary, Catholic prelates explain. During
his visit, Pope Francis will invite all to unite under the protective cloak of
Virgin Mary. He will plead for gathering all forces together, strengthening
faith and giving priority to the common good.
The Romanian
President Klaus Iohannis is expected to welcome Pope Francis on May 31st,
at 11.30 a.m., at the ‘Henri Coanda’ International Airport, and the official
welcoming ceremony at the Cotroceni Palace, the headquarters of the Romanian
presidency, is scheduled to take place half an hour later.
The program also
includes private meetings as well as a meeting with Prime Minister Viorica
Dancila and other officials, representatives of civil society and of the diplomatic
corp. The head of state will give a statement, and the Pope a speech. Also on
May 31st, the Pope will have a private meeting with the Patriarch of
the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, as well as with the Permanent Synod of
the Romanian Orthodox Church, at the Patriarchy Palace in the Romanian capital.
The Pope will
visit the National Cathedral, which is currently under construction, where
speeches will be given and Easter songs performed, followed by the Lord’s
Prayer. Then, the Pope will hold a mass at the ‘Saint Joseph’ Catholic
Cathedral. On June 1st, Pope Francis will be traveling to
Transylvania, to the Marian Sanctuary in Sumuleu – Ciuc, which hosts every year
the largest Pentecost pilgrimage in Central and Eastern Europe.
He will then go
to Iasi, in the north-east, where he will visit the ‘Saint Mary the Queen’
Cathedral and attend a meeting with young people and families at the Culture
Palace, where he will also give a speech.
On the last day
of his visit to Romania, on June 2nd, the head of the Catholic
Church will attend the Divine Liturgy on the Freedom Field in Blaj, in central
Romania, where seven Greek-Catholic martyr bishops, killed between 1950-1970 in
communist prisons, will be beatified. The visit to Romania of Pope Francis will
end on June 2nd, at 5.30 p.m. with an official ceremony at the Sibiu
International Airport.
