His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, addressed a message of congratulation to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at his 80th Birthday.
His Holiness Bartholomew
Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome,
Ecumenical Patriarch
Your Holiness,
We warmly congratulate you on the occasion of your 80th birthday anniversary, conveying to you our fraternal love in Christ and high esteem for Your Holiness’rich pastoral and missionary activity.
The brotherly relations between the Romanian Patriarchate and the Ecumenical Patriarchate have experienced great development in recent years, by continuing the work of our forerunners, whereby we expressed, countless times, our esteem for both the love and friendship that Your Holiness constantly shows towards our Church and the Romanian people, as well as for your wisdom and dynamism in giving witness to Orthodoxy.
In this context, your Holiness’ visits to Romania, and in particular your visit to Bucharest, on the occasion of the consecration of the National Cathedral, on 25 November 2018, are also worth mentioning.
At the same time, we express our deep gratitude for the parental care you show towards the Romanian Orthodox Community in Istanbul, hosted, through Your Holiness’kindness, in the church founded by the Holy Martyr Ruler Prince of Walachia Constantin Brâncoveanu.
Your Holiness, as a faithful and active promoter of Christ’s prayer “that all may be one” (John 17:21), in the long-standing archpastoral activity, you have emphasised the role and mission of Orthodoxy in the contemporary context, by manifesting the unity between freedom and responsibility.
At the same time, Your Holiness, you have not ignored the affirmation of national identity and freedom, as well as the Orthodox solidarity and mutual help, which must be manifested to a much greater extent in the contemporary world.
In this light of fraternal communion and pastoral co-responsibility for the wellbeing of the whole of Orthodoxy, on behalf of the members of the Holy Synod, the clergy, the faithful of the Romanian Orthodox Church and of ours, personally, we address to you our warm and fraternal wishesof good health and pray to the Saviour Jesus Christ to bestow upon Your Holiness His rich gifts!
Many happy and blessed years!
With high esteem and brotherly love in Christ the Lord,
† Daniel
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro
