Encounter of Romanian Orthodox and Catholic Churches

Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate, 7 May 2010:

His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church received at the Patriarchal Residence, His Eminence Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches of Vatican, who was paying a visit to Romania, accompanied by Rev. Dr. Yaroslav Karpyak. His Excellency Francisco-Javier Lozano, Apostolic Nuncio for Romania and the Republic of Moldova, His Grace Mihai, Assistant Bishop of Bucharest and Rev. Valeriu Median, on behalf of the Greek Catholic Church, were also present at the meeting.

His Eminence Cardinal Leonardo Sandri conveyed to His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel the cordial salute of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and his confidence in the development of the good relations present between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel underlined the traditional relations of friendship and collaboration between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, pointing out the fact that the two Churches have the common duty to strengthen these positive relations in a European society marked by secularism, where Christian co-operation is not a simple fashion of the day, but a moral missionary duty.

During the meeting, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel affirmed the desire of the Romanian Orthodox Church to resume the dialogue with the Greek Catholic Church of Romania in order to find together practical solutions for solving their patrimonial disagreements, as Pope John Paul II also proposed during the visit he paid to Romania in 1999. In this context, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel underlined the priority of the permanent dialogue and co-operation between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Greek Catholic Church of our country concerning the patrimonial [ed: i.e. property expropriated by the Communist government when the Greek Catholic Church was outlawed and given to the Romanian Orthodox Church, which is reluctant to return thousands of houses, churches, schools and other buildings, or even to agree to share them] disagreements present at a certain time.

So, the next working session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church of 6 – 8 July 2010 will also discuss the relations between the two Churches. Then, an invitation will be extended to the Greek Catholic Church of Romania to resume the dialogue with the Romanian Orthodox Church. 

To end with the meeting, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, referred to a possible invitation that might be extended to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, with the agreement of the Holy Synod, to visit Romania.