Bucharest, 22 October 2016
His Holiness BARTHOLOMAIOS,
Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome,
Ecumenical Patriarch
Your Holiness,
Beloved Brother and Concelebrant,
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Your Holiness’ election (22nd October 1991) and of your enthronement (2nd November 1991) as the 270th Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, we address you a respectful and brotherly message of congratulations.
Your Holiness’ personality and intense activity, both in ecclesiastical and in other spheres of life is well known and appreciated in the whole of the Orthodox Church and also respected throughout the rest of the Christendom and in the world at large. Thus, throughout your entire service as Ecumenical Patriarch, Your Holiness have constantly promoted the role and place of each sister Orthodox Church in strengthening and deepening the panorthodox unity and in assuming responsibility towards solving humanitarian crises within the contemporary society, through specific assistance.
At the same time, you have greatly contributed to the affirmation of dignity and role of Orthodoxy in the world of today, marked by big challenges and rapid changes.
In a very specific way, we would also like to thank once again to Your Holiness for hosting, for the past 12 years, the Romanian Orthodox community in Constantinople, in the church dedicated by the Holy Martyr Ruler Prince Constantine Brâncoveanu to the Holy Martyr Paraschevi.
At this particular moment when you celebrate 25 years of service as Ecumenical Patriarch and over 55 years of ecclesiastical ministry, on behalf of the hierarchs, clergy and faithful of the Romanian Orthodox Church, we wish Your Holiness many years to come in good health, help from God in this very important and demanding service, for the glory of the Most Holy Trinity and the welfare of Orthodoxy.
With deep esteem and fraternal embrace in Jesus Christ,
† DANIEL
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
