Pope Francis welcomed to
Bucharest for 3-day visit to Romania
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| Pope Francis greets the President of Romania (AFP) |
As the papal plane touches down in Bucharest on Friday
morning, Pope Francis is welcomed to Romania’s capital by President Klaus
Iohannis and a delegation of Catholic and Orthodox leaders, at the start of his
3-day Apostolic Journey to the EU member state.
By Devin Watkins
Pope Francis’ visit to Romania is his 30th Apostolic Journey
abroad, and takes place under the official motto “Let’s walk together”.
He follows in the footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II, who
made the first papal visit to the Orthodox-majority nation 20 years ago in May
1999.
Friday in Bucharest
The Holy Father spends Friday in the capital, Bucharest. His
first engagement is with Romania’s civil authorities at the Presidential
Palace. He also encounters the permanent Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church,
and prays the Our Father with them at the new Orthodox Cathedral.
The Pope finishes the day by celebrating Mass for the city’s
Catholics at Saint Joseph Cathedral.
Saturday in Transylvania region
On Saturday, Pope Francis flies to the northeastern city of
Bacău, where he will take a helicopter to Miercurea Ciuc, in the Transylvania
region, to celebrate Mass at the Marian Shrine of Şumuleu Ciuc.
He also travels to Romania’s second largest city, Iași.
There he will make a private visit to Our Lady Queen of Iași Cathedral, and
hold a Marian encounter with young people and families.
Sunday in Blaj
On the last day of his visit, Pope Francis visits the
central city of Blaj.
In the morning he will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and
beatify 7 Greek Catholic bishops who were martyred under the communist regime.
The last event on the Pope’s schedule is an encounter with
the Roma community in the Barbu Lautaru neighborhood of Blaj.
Pope Francis departs Sunday afternoon from Sibiu’s airport,
and returns to the Vatican in the early evening.
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