Pope Francis has accepted to be Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest informs.
The invitation was submitted by the official delegation of the Romanian Academy during the private audience given by Pope Francis on Wednesday in the Citadel of the Holy See.
“The Pontiff sovereign has accepted ‘out of friendship for Romania’ the high honour offered by the Romanian Academy, the academic emblems are to be sent to the Holy See through the Apostolic Nunciature. The Romanian Academy delegation was led by Acad. Ionel Valentin Vlad – President of the Academy, consisting of Acad. Cristian Hera – Vice-President, Acad. Victor Spinei – Vice-President, Acad. Bogdan Simionescu – Vice-President, Acad. Victor Voicu – Secretary General. The Romanian Academics were accompanied by His Holiness Ioan Robu, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of the Romanian Academy,” a press release of the Romanian-Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest reads.
The Romanian Academy delegation handed Pope Francis an album of the Academy, as well as the Old Testament, in the translation of Nicolae Milescu.
Pope Francis is the second Sovereign Pontiff of the Catholic Church elected as Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy, after John Paul II, who was elected Honorary Member in 2001.