Pope Tawadros II, on official visit to Romania
Pope Tawadros II is on an official and pastoral visit to Romania, on which occasion he will have meetings at the highest level and interreligious dialogue for peace.
His Excellency Pope Tawadros II, the Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, makes a pastoral and official visit to Romania, part of his tour in the Episcopate of Central Europe. This marks a historical moment in the Egyptian-Romanian bilateral relations and in the ecumenical dialogue between the Copta Church and the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Meeting at Victoria Palace
Pope Tawadros II was received on Wednesday at the Victoria Palace by the Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu. During the meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the historical relations between Egypt and Romania, but also the essential contribution of the Coptic Church in promoting the universal values of peace, dialogue and tolerance.
« It is a great honor to have its sanctity in Romania. We deeply appreciate the activity of the Coptic Church and its role in the construction of bridges between people, » said Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
Pope Tawadros thanked for the warm reception and emphasized the continuous support offered to the Egyptian community in Romania, as well as to the pastoral activities of the baked church in this country.
Brotherly meeting with Patriarch Daniel
Another moment of high spirituality was the meeting at the Patriarchate Palace with the Most Blessed Father Daniel, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The two religious leaders spoke about the solid relations between the two churches, intensified especially after 1990, and about the opening to cultural and pastoral cooperation.
Patriarch Daniel mentioned the pilgrimages of the Romanian Orthodox in Egypt, organized by the Romanian Patriarchate, and praised the good coexistence of the Copte community in Bucharest with the Romanian Orthodox parishes. « We wish you a blessed visit to Romania, in the name of our brotherly communion, » said His Grace.
Reception to Egypt’s Embassy
In honor of the visit, the Egypt of Egypt in Bucharest organized an official reception, where ambassadors from Arab and European countries, representatives of churches and international organizations were present. Ambassador Maayad El-Dolai greeting Pope Tawadros: « Welcome home-in the house of Egypt in Romania. »
In his speech, Pope Tawadros spoke about the common values of Egyptian and Romanian civilizations, evoking the symbol of the column as an expression of man’s verticality. He emphasized the unity brought by Nile to the Egyptian people and launched a call for peace for Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, Russia, India and Pakistan: « We ask God to reverse His peace over the whole world. »
Promoting Copate Culture in Romania
Another significant moment was the meeting with Mr. Alexandru Peterliceanu, the vice -president of ANCI, who together with the Proema Publishing House published translations of the books written by Pope Tawadros, among which « this is my faith » and « The history of the Church ». The publications were distributed in theological schools and religious education centers in Romania, as part of the efforts of spiritual and cultural proximity between the two peoples.
Pope Tawadros praised the initiative, stressing that « translation and publication of faith books represent a noble work, which builds bridges between cultures and souls. »
The visit continues
The visit of his sanctity in Romania is part of his pastoral tour in Central Europe, which started in Poland. In Romania, Pope Tawadros II will continue with official meetings, pastoral visits and pilgrimages, among which are the Cernica and Pasărea monasteries, and will meet with the baked believers established here.
This historical visit reaffirms the close bonds between Romania and Egypt, both at the religious, cultural and diplomatic levels.
