Welcome speech of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, addressed to His Beatitude Teophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine, in the Patriarchal Cathedral “Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen”, Bucharest, 29 November 2018:
Your Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine,
On behalf of the members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, of the Orthodox clergy and believers in Romania, with great love in Christ, we warmly welcome you in our Country and Church!
We remember with joy the last fraternal visit you made to Romania in 2014 at the feast of the Holy Venerable Demetrios the New, Protector of Bucharest.
Today, Your Beatitude, we are again together in this historical Patriarchal Cathedral, preparing to celebrate the Holy Apostle Andrew, the First-called, Protector of Romania, and now of the National Cathedral, whose altar we consecrated a few days ago.
This is the main reason for Your Beatitude՚s visit this year, to concelebrate for the first time in the patronal feast of the National Cathedral, as a testimony and occasion of holy communion and missionary cooperation between our Churches.
In this light of fraternal communion and pastoral co-responsibility, we pray God to bestow His rich gifts upon Your Beatitude, wishing you to have a blessed visit to our Country and Church, together with the accompanying delegation members!
† Daniel
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
