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Senate President Calin Popescu-Tariceanu on Friday said that Pope Francis' visit must be for all Romanians - Orthodox, Catholics or Protestants - the occasion to praise one another and to end the division in public life.
"For any nation, for all Christians, the Pope's visit is a rare and precious event. Twenty years ago, the presence of His Sanctity John Paul the Second in Bucharest made all of us feel more united, more peaceful, with more pride for our Christian identity and traditions. (...) That is why I believe that the Pope's visit must be for all of us - Orthodox, Catholics or Protestants - the occasion to praise one another and to end the division in public life," Tariceanu wrote on Facebook.
He voiced hope that this visit left durable marks in the Romanian society, adding that Romanians needed inspiration to find social cohesion and national solidarity again.
"This time, we'll go on pilgrimage with Pope Francis from Bucharest to Iasi and from Sumuleu Ciuc to Blaj. With the Pope's aid, we'll better understand what keeps us together as Romanians and Christians, we'll show our gratitude to the seven martyr bishops who, during the communist regime, had the courage to confess at the cost of their life the faith in Christ, in the Romanian people and in the freedom of conscience. I hope that the values which Pope Francis embodies - faith in the human dignity, in the equality of all beings in front of God, care for those in need, fraternity, simplicity and honesty - will inspire all of us. I hope that this visit leave durable marks in the Romanian society. We need inspiration to find social cohesion and national solidarity again. I wish a warm welcome to Pope Francis and I wish all Romanian citizens to go together with the Holy Father on the path of unity of faith in the values that make us fully human: dignity, equality and freedom," Tariceanu highlighted.
AGERPRES
