His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel welcomed Wednesday, 18 January 2017, His Excellency the Ambassador of Croatia in Bucharest, Mr Davor Vidiš, at the Patriarchal Residence.
Ambassador Vidiš thanked for the chance to meet the Patriarch of Romania a second time and to transmit greetings on behalf of His Eminence Cardinal Josip Bozanić, Archbishop of Zagreb, along with his personal wishes for the New Year 2017. In this context, His Excellency stressed the openness of the Archbishop of Zagreb to offer a Roman-Catholic Church for the use of Orthodox Romanians living in Croatia, given the initiative of the Embassy of Romania in Croatia.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel appreciated the initiative of the Embassy of Romania and the willingness of Catholic Church’s authorities to provide religious assistance to Orthodox Romanians living in Croatia, through the help of Romanian clergy, given the need to manifest pastoral care for all the sons and daughters of the Romanian Orthodox Church, including those outside Romania’s borders. In this regard, the Patriarch of Romania stressed the importance pilgrimages have, as cultural, missionary and pastoral actions, organised by the Basilica Travel Agency of the Romanian Patriarchate in different parts of the world. Pilgrimage represents an efficient way Christians can know each other and build a deeper consciousness in order to show Christian solidarity in the European context marked by secularisation and individualism.
During the meeting, they also pointed out the role and importance of preserving and promoting Christian values such as traditional family, religious education of youth, defending life and human dignity, and promoting social peace.
Department for Church and interreligious relations and External Church Communities
Photo credit: Basilica.ro
