Romanian Leader Discusses EU With Pope

09-09-2008

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, SEPT. 8, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The president of Romania told Benedict XVI that he is grateful to the Church for the help it offers to Romanian immigrants.

President Traian Basescu said this today when he visited the Pope at Castel Gandolfo. He went on to meet with the Holy Father's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for relations with states.

The Holy See reported that the discussions "provided an opportunity to examine the situation in the country, with particular reference to its entry into the European Union; in this context allusion was made to the historical, cultural and spiritual identity of Europe, also highlighting the affinity of views between the Holy See and Romania on various international issues."

Relations between the Church and Romania, and the relations with the Orthodox Church, were also considered, "and the hope was expressed that an increase in mutual understanding and collaboration may contribute to the good of all the inhabitants of the country, and to their spiritual and material development," the communiqué added.

"Finally," the Holy See said, "attention turned to the subject of Romanian communities abroad, for the integration of which Catholic Church institutions offer generous and effective assistance, something which President Basescu expressly recognized and for which he voiced his appreciation."

The issue of Romanian immigrants was also addressed almost a year ago during the Nov. 7 visit to the Pope by the previous Romanian president, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu.
At that time, when the debate over Romanian immigration had intensified in Italy in the wake of the murder of an Italian woman at the hands of an immigrant from that country, President Popescu thanked the Holy Father for the Church's work in favor of immigrants.
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