New Romanian Orthodox Patriarch to visit Constantinople

(BASILICA) - In the spirit of tradition and current practice, His Beatitude Daniel, as the new Patriarch of Romania, accompanied by a delegation of the Romanian Orthodox Church, will visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate between May 27 - June 2, 2009.

The visit is part of the events dedicated to the year 2009, proclaimed by the Holy Synod as 'Memorial Year of St Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea Cappadocia († 379) and of the other Cappadocian Saints.'

In the first day of the visit, after the official welcoming at the St. George Cathedral, His Beatitude Daniel will participate at the Vespers celebrated in the St. Paraskeve Church in Istanbul, a worship place given by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the Romanian Orthodox community in Turkey. On this occasion, in the presence of the Romanian Orthodox faithful in Istanbul and other areas in Turkey, the new library of this Romanian community will be consecrated.

Thursday, May 28, 2009, on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, His Holiness Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch, and His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, will celebrate together the Holy Liturgy at the St. George Cathedral, surrounded by Greek and Romanian hierarchs, priests and deacons. Subsequently, the two Primates, joined by hierarchs, priests, deacons and faithful, will go on a pilgrimage in Cappadocia, the birthplace of Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, Gregory of Nyssa and many others from the first Christian millennium. Christian relics of profound theological, cultural and spiritual importance will be visited.

Saturday, May 30, 2009, the two Patriarchs will celebrate in Cappadocia the Vespers at the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen Church in Sinassos, and the next day, Sunday, May 31, in the same area, the Holy Liturgy at the St. Theodor Church in Malakopis.

On schedule there are several official visits of the Romanian Patriarch at the Romanian Embassy in Ankara, at the General Consulate of Romania in Istanbul, as well as meetings with central and local authorities in Turkey.