Last week, Crown Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, met the Pope on his visit to Romania. The Crown princess’ husband, Prince Radu, was also present during the meeting. The meeting between the Pope and the Romanian royals happened at the Cathedral of Salvation of the Nation.
The People’s Salvation Cathedral is an Orthodox cathedral in Bucharest that is meant to become the patriarchal cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church. It is the tallest and largest Orthodox church in the world by volume and the third in the world by area.
Crown Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, presents a small gift to his holiness. Photo: FAMILIA REGALA A ROMANEI / ROYAL FAMILY OF ROMANIA.
The Romanian royal family published the following message on the occasion:
“Joining the families of the seven bishops and the vast crowd of the people in the Liberty Plain, Her Majesty wanted to carry on the principles and values that guided her great-grandfather, King Ferdinand the Loyal. These values and principles, which guided his whole life and King Michael, were respect for people, compassion, love of country, loyalty to the Romanian State and Nation, and in public life the measure of discretion, ethics and dignity.
It was a great occasion for Her Majesty and Prince Radu, as well as for the tens of thousands of people present, to attend Pope Francis’ high prayer, raised with Cardinal Lucian and the Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic clergy. The words of the Pontiff Sovereign have once again urged modesty, altruism, care for the poor and the marginalised, for unity and responsibility.”
Prince Radu also met the Pope. Photo: FAMILIA REGALA A ROMANEI / ROYAL FAMILY OF ROMANIA.
The cathedral ceremony was held by Patriarch Daniel and took place in the presence of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church. High representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Catholic Church, as well as other political and cultural guests from Romania, were invited.
Her Majesty Margareta and Prince Radu also attended a service in the city of Blaj, joining the tens of thousands of travellers who came to be with the Pope and the United Romanian Church.
