Upon arriving at the People's Salvation Orthodox Cathedral an artisan offered the pope some sweets, which he accepted.
At the entrance of the cathedral, Pope Francis greeted those present in Romanian. As he walked down the nave, he was accompanied by Patriarch Daniel, in the midst of solemn liturgical chants.
The cathedral was recently constructed. It was inaugurated in November 2018 and work is expected to be completed by 2024.
The host, Patriarch Daniel, recalled that John Paul II donated $200,000 to help build it; and they have used the money for the bells.
He also thanked the Catholic Church for making available more than 400 places of worship to Orthodox Romanians in several European countries. For this reason, the patriarch made this unprecedented gesture. He allowed the pope and Catholics to pray in Latin in the cathedral.
Additionally, the pope was given an icon of St. Andrew, Peter's brother.
Pope Francis recalled one of the fundamental teachings of the “Our Father” is fraternity. This is why he warned against a temptation that threatens Christians of different confessions.
POPE FRANCIS
“Help us, Father, to take our brothers and sisters lives seriously, to make their history our history. Help us, Father to not judge our brothers and sisters for their actions and their limitations, but to welcome them before all else as your sons and daughters. Help us overcome the temptation to act like the older brother, who was so concerned with himself that he forgot the gift of the other person.”
Afterward, for the first time, the “Our Father” was prayed in Latin in this Orthodox Cathedral and Catholic hymns were sung.
The Orthodox liturgical songs from Romania were also sung and the Lord's prayer was prayed again in Romanian.
Pope Francis and the patriarch then walked outside together and bid farewell.
