VIDEO Patriarch Bartholomew I, received at the Victoria Palace, together with His Beatitude Father Daniel / Ilie Bolojan: “God bless Romania”
His Holiness Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople and Blessed Father Daniel, received at the Government by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. Photo source: Government of Romania.
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan received, on Tuesday, His Holiness Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople and Patriarch Daniel at the Victoria Palace. The Head of Government conveyed that it is “a great Christian joy” to see them again after the “historic” moment on Sunday, when they were present at the consecration ceremony of the painting of the National Cathedral.
“I was honored to welcome today, at the Victoria Palace, His Holiness Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, and His Beatitude Father Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. It was a great Christian joy to see them again after the historic moment on Sunday, when we all witnessed the consecration ceremony of the Cathedral's painting National”, the prime minister said in a post on Facebook.
“A friend of the Romanian people and a good connoisseur of the realities of our country, His Holiness Bartholomew I, as patriarch, visited our country 11 times. I sent him my warm thanks for carrying Romania in prayer and blessings”, says Ilie Bolojan.
The Head of the Executive also said that he used the occasion of the meeting to express his gratitude to the Blessed Father Daniel, who fulfilled a dream of the faithful of our nation.
“I used the occasion of our meeting to express my gratitude to the Blessed Father Daniel, who fulfilled a dream of the believers of our nation. The National Cathedral is not only a place of rediscovery, unity and blessing for the believers in Romania, but also a landmark of our spiritual values. May God bless Romania!”, the Prime Minister's message also states.
On Monday evening, President Nicușor Dan decorated the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartolomeu I, with the National Order “Star of Romania”, and conferred the Order of “Cultural Merit” in the rank of Grand Officer to the Romanian Patriarchate, in a ceremony organized at the Cotroceni Palace.
Bartolomeu arrived in Romania on Friday and participated in the consecration service of the National Cathedral on Sunday, together with Patriarch Daniel.
The National Cathedral is open to the public day and night until October 31 inclusive, so that all who wish can pass through the altar and admire the interior.
On Sunday, approximately 25,000 people attended the consecration service, according to the Romanian Patriarchate: 2,500 official guests entered inside, and 8,000 pilgrims organized from all dioceses in the country were in the courtyard.
