Metropolitan Ephraim of Aleppo, from the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, visited the Patriarchate Palace for the first time on Tuesday, Lumina Newspaper reports. Reflecting on the communion between the two Churches, the Metropolitan said: “Our Lord Jesus Christ is the One who unites us.”
“This is our second visit to Romania, the first having been to Cluj-Napoca. However, it is the first time that we have come to Bucharest and to the Romanian Patriarchate,” Metropolitan Ephraim said.
The Antiochian delegation was welcomed by Archimandrite Augustin Coman, Patriarchal Counsellor for Christian and Interreligious Relations and Romanian Communities Abroad.
Metropolitan Ephraim is making an official visit to Romania to participate in the religious celebrations dedicated to St Stephen the Great, which will take place on Thursday at Putna Monastery.
“We honour him as one of the great saints of the Romanian Orthodox Church and as a model for all Orthodox Christians,” the Metropolitan of Aleppo said.
Bonds Between the Orthodox Churches
During the meeting, participants highlighted the close ties between the Romanian Patriarchate and the Patriarchate of Antioch, and discussed the challenges currently facing Christian communities in Syria.
“We discussed the situation of the Orthodox Church of Antioch, the history of our two Patriarchates, and the many bonds that unite us, both historically and today.”
The Metropolitan of Aleppo said the visit was a source of encouragement and a sign of solidarity among the Orthodox Churches.
“It is a great blessing and a genuine consolation for us. It strengthens and encourages us, knowing that we have brothers and sisters in many parts of the world who pray for us.”
“We pray that God will protect the Romanian Orthodox Church, just as He protects us in Antioch. As Metropolitan of Aleppo, I ask for the prayers and blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, just as His Beatitude Patriarch John prays for us and for the peace and tranquillity of the Romanian people.”
At the conclusion of the visit, Metropolitan Ephraim received, on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, copies of the volumes Brâncuși – A Christian Orthodox Sculptor and The National Cathedral: An Ideal Fulfilled – Historical and Architectural Landmarks.
Photo: Lumina Newspaper / Mihnea Pădurariu
