Card Sandri is on a visit to Romania to meet with the country’s Catholic Greek Church and pastors. The cardinal received an honorary degree in theology from Babes-Borrey University.
(Vatican News Network) Card Leonardo Sandri, Minister of the Holy See for the Eastern Churches, will visit Romania from June 1. On his arrival, the cardinal was welcomed by the bishops of the country’s Catholic Greek diocese of Cluj-Gherla, the archbishops of the Greek archbishopric and priests. The next day, a delegation led by the cardinal visited the site where the new cathedral is being built by the Greek Catholic Church. Afterwards, the cardinal received an honorary degree from the Seminary at the University of Babes-Boulei in Cluj.
Card Sandri gave a speech at the university on the current world situation affected by the conflict in Ukraine. The cardinal said: “The storm of war from the east has intensified the instability and the economic crisis of these years, heightened fear and forced many to flee, leaving behind orphans and widowed parents. Therefore, we need to be able to continue to conceive of peace and brotherhood. fraternity, and to embody these places of grace in everyday life.”
Speaking of the tragedy of war, persecution, the blind ideology of humanity, Card Sandri urged those present to follow the advice of Pope Francis in his encyclical “Brethren”: “Pain and conflict have radically changed us. Also, empty diplomatic rhetoric, cover-ups to hide the truth, ambiguity, deceit, politeness, etc., all no longer work. How many people speak up and tell the truth clearly in the face of fierce confrontation The truth. They need to learn to make good use of the memory of confession and to take on the past. In this way, the future will be free from the influence of the dissatisfaction, confusion or projection of the past. Only by starting from the truth of historical facts can they understand each other lastingly and Committed to a renewed consensus for the well-being of all.” (Encyclical Brothers No. 226)
Continuing on the subject of martyrdom, the cardinal said: “In this early 21st century, Christians continue to be persecuted and killed because of hatred for their faith; according to the annual Open Doors report, 5,898 were Christians were killed, 5,110 churches were attacked, and 6,175 Christians were imprisoned. More than 300 million Christians around the world live in conditions of high risk of persecution.”
The Holy See Minister of the Eastern Congregation also pointed out that there is another form of martyrdom today, that of those who “went into exile because of war, or because of the suppression and threats to their freedom and life, who left their soil of”. Martyrdom in our day is also a repetition of the dynamism of the cross: “Christians are once once more the wheat of Christ, gnashed by the teeth of wild beasts, not knowing that in this way they are saving the world”.
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Card Sandri visits Romania