On Thursday, 1 October 2026, Ms. Olivia Toderean, Ambassador of Romania to the Arab Republic of Egypt, visited the Patriarchal See and was received by Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa.
During the cordial meeting, the Patriarch warmly welcomed the Ambassador to the historic seat of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the venerable Second Throne of Orthodoxy. He spoke of the centuries-old spiritual and ecclesiastical bonds linking the Patriarchate of Alexandria with the Romanian Orthodox Church, as well as the relations of fraternal cooperation and solidarity that the two Churches have cultivated over the years.
In particular, the Primate of Alexandria asked the Ambassador to convey his heartfelt thanks and fraternal love to Patriarch Daniel of Romania and to the Hierarchy of the Romanian Orthodox Church, for their steadfast support and practical assistance to the Patriarchate’s wide-ranging pastoral, missionary, and philanthropic work on the African continent.
The Patriarch also stressed the great importance of the growing presence of Romanian pilgrims in Egypt, a land sanctified by the flight and sojourn of the Holy Family, and by the presence of great figures of monasticism and the ascetic tradition of the Church. He noted that the further development of pilgrimage tourism could become yet another strong bond between the two peoples and the two Churches.
For her part, Ms. Toderean warmly thanked the Patriarch for his gracious welcome and hospitality, and conveyed to him warm greetings from the Romanian leadership, together with the fraternal good wishes of Patriarch Daniel of Romania.
The meeting also included a fruitful exchange of views on matters of common interest, and the two sides explored possibilities for further cooperation, particularly in the areas of ecclesiastical and cultural communication, the promotion of pilgrimage visits, and the highlighting of the historical ties that unite the Romanian people with Egypt and the ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Ambassador was given a tour of the historic spaces of the Patriarchal See, where she had the opportunity to see firsthand significant relics and artifacts that testify to the Patriarchate of Alexandria’s long historical and spiritual presence.
It is worth noting that the Patriarchate of Alexandria’s centuries-old ties with the devout Romanian people date back to the times of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia. Great figures of the Alexandrian Throne, such as the holy Patriarchs Meletios Pegas and Cyril Lucaris, Patriarch Metrophanes Kritopoulos, and other successors, were closely connected with the Romanian Lands, whose princes and faithful people were for centuries valued helpers and benefactors of the Apostolic Throne of Saint Mark.
These historical ties, which remain alive to this day, confirm the enduring spiritual closeness and fraternal relationship between the Patriarchate of Alexandria and the Romanian Orthodox Church. They are a precious legacy for further strengthening their cooperation and the common witness of the Orthodox Church in the modern world, in a shared vision of the prevalence of peace, solidarity, and unity.
Source: ekalexandria.org
