His Excellency Romanian President Mr Klaus Iohannis and his wife, Carmen Iohannis, visited on Tuesday, 8 March 2016, the Representation of the Romanian Patriarchate to Jerusalem. The Romanian President and his delegation were encountered by the V. Rev. Archimandrite Teofil Anăstăsoaie, Superior of the Romanian Settlements in the Holy Land, together with the members of the Romanian community.
Fr Teofil welcomed the presidential delegation atSt Pious George Church of the Romanian Representation in Jerusalem, and presented the history of the existence of the Romanian community and its mission to the Holy Lands, as well as the architectural beauty and the liturgical objects of the settlement.
The Romanian President thanked for the warm reception in the Romanian residence in Jerusalem, noting that even though the Embassy of Romania to Israel still doesn’t have an office in the Holy City (Jerusalem), the Representation of the Romanian Patriarchate is a veritable spiritual embassy, where all the Romanians coming to the Holy Places are welcomed with much love, and can send up prayers in their mother tongue.
Finally, Mr. President was offered, on behalf of the Representation of the Romanian Patriarchate, a pearl carved replica of the star of Bethlehem and an olive wood covered Bible in Romanian.
Mr. President was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Lazăr Comănescu, the Minister for National Education and Scientific Research, Mr. Adrian Curaj, and several presidential advisers.
We note that the Romanian President and his delegation were welcomed Monday, March 7, by His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem and all Palestine, at the Patriarchal Palace in Jerusalem (see video). During the official meeting, the Patriarch of Jerusalem congratulated the presidential couple for their visit to the Holy Places. Next, the Romanian President was awarded the Order of the Holy Sepulcher. After this moment, the Romanian Delegation, led by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos, descended to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. They visited the Stone of Anointing, the Golgotha altar, the Holy Sepulcher and the Church of Resurrection.
