His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel welcomed His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople at Otopeni Airport upon his arrival in Romania on Friday.
“The presence of Your Holiness among us is a moment of great blessing, of spiritual joy, and of strengthening the communion between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Romanian Patriarchate,” said His Beatitude.
Patriarch Daniel emphasised that this is the Ecumenical Patriarch’s eleventh visit to our country, as a sign of the enduring fraternal ties between our Churches.
Please find below the English and Greek versions of Patriarch Daniel’s welcome message upon the arrival of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Bucharest.
Your Holiness,
With heartfelt joy and fraternal love in our Lord Jesus Christ, we extend to Your Holiness, on behalf of the members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the clergy, and the Romanian Orthodox faithful, a warm Welcome to Romania!
Your Holiness’ presence among us is a great blessing, a source of spiritual joy, and a strengthening of the communion between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Romanian Patriarchate. This blessed visit marks Your Holiness’ eleventh visit to Romania and stands as a testimony to the steadfast fraternal bonds between our Churches.
Your Holiness’ previous visit to Romania took place on the occasion of the consecration of the Altar of the National Cathedral—also known as the People’s Salvation Cathedral—in 2018, the Centennial of the Great Union of all Romanian provinces into one state: the Kingdom of Greater Romania.
In 2025, the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrates 100 years since its elevation to the rank of Patriarchate and 140 years of Autocephaly, both officially recognized by the Tomoses issued by Your Holiness’ predecessors of venerable memory: Ecumenical Patriarch Basil III on July 30, 1925, and Ecumenical Patriarch Joachim IV on April 25, 1885.
The series of solemn events organized in Bucharest to mark the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate will culminate, providentially, with the blessing of the painting in mosaic of the National Cathedral on Sunday, October 26, 2025, in the presence of Your Holiness.
The construction and blessing of the painting in mosaic of the National Cathedral, dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord (Heroes’ Day) and to Saint Andrew the Apostle, the First Called and Protector of Romania, represents the fulfilment of a national ideal cherished by the Romanian people for nearly a century and a half (1881–2025).
Thus, the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate is crowned by an event of deep spiritual significance for the life of the Romanian Orthodox Church and the faithful Romanian people.
We wish to express our gratitude to Your Holiness for accepting our invitation to participate in this solemn service of the blessing of the painting in mosaic of the National Cathedral.
At the same time, we pray to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest, to bless this visit of Your Holiness to Romania and to strengthen the fraternal love and ecclesial communion between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Romanian Patriarchate, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity and for the joy of the clergy and the Orthodox faithful.
† DANIEL
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church