Pope Francis accepted an invitation to become an honorary member of the Romanian Academy, after having met with a delegation of the Academy at the Vatican on 8th November.
Pope Francis accepted the high honour offered by the Romanian Academy “out of friendship for Romania,” and the academic emblems will be sent through the Apostolic Nunciature, according to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest.
Pope Francis is the second Pontiff of the Catholic Church elected an honorary member of the Romanian Academy, after Pope John Paul II, who became an honorary member in 2001.
His Holiness is expected to visit Romania next year. He received official invitations from the Romanian Presidency and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
If he decides to visit Romania, Pope Francis would be the second pontiff to visit the country, following Pope John Paul II’s May 1999 visit.