Two hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church were present on Monday at the meeting of Pope Leo XIV with delegations from various confessions and religions who had attended Sunday’s official inauguration of His Holiness’ pontificate.
Metropolitan Joseph of Western and Southern Europe and Bishop Siluan of Italy congratulated the new Pope on behalf of the Romanian Orthodox Church and offered him an icon as a gift.
“We offered His Holiness an icon of Saint Leo III and conveyed, on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, our gratitude for the availability and support provided by the Catholic Church in Italy and throughout Europe to our communities so they may serve,” Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Italy told Basilica.ro.
“We also expressed our thanks for the Catholic Church’s support and favourable endorsement in approving the Intesa we signed with the Italian State — a legal agreement that defines the relationship between the Italian State and the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy. At the same time, we conveyed our Church’s readiness and commitment to continue, as before, the theological dialogue and cooperation — including on a social level — with the Catholic Church.”
An Open Attitude, Sympathy, and Goodwill
Bishop Siluan shared that although Pope Leo XIV had met earlier in the day with numerous delegations—over 200 people—he showed attentiveness, presence of mind, and openness toward the Romanian hierarchs.
He expressed his thanks for the gift, the greetings, and the message conveyed on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, and naturally showed willingness to continue collaborative efforts.
“Although the moment was brief — many delegations had come before us, and more were to follow — we spent some delightful moments together. We recognized in His Holiness’ attitude a spirit of openness, sympathy, goodwill, and readiness to collaborate for the benefit of our communities, just as his predecessors have done,” the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Italy added.
“Now is the Time to Dialogue and Build Bridges”
The meeting took place under the sign of the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council.
In his address, the Pope emphasized the need for a “shared path” to be understood “in a broad sense, one that includes everyone, in a spirit of human fraternity.”
“Now is the time to engage in dialogue and to build bridges,” said the Bishop of Rome.
Thanking the participants for their presence and their contribution to peace, Pope Leo underlined that “in a world wounded by violence and conflict, each of the communities represented here brings its share of wisdom, compassion, and commitment to the good of humanity and the safeguarding of our common home.”
Romanian Orthodox believers in the diaspora maintain close ties with other Christian denominations. In Italy, most Romanian Orthodox communities hold services in spaces provided by the Roman Catholic Church. Over 300 such communities receive this support in the Italian peninsula alone.
Photo: Vatican Media
