Archbishop Nathaniel, Bishop Ireneu meet with western European Romanian bishops

Archbishop Nathaniel, center, and Bishop Irineu, far right, with Romanian hierarchs from across Europe.

ROME, ITALY [OCA]—His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate and His Grace, Bishop Irineu of Dearborn Heights, participated in a gathering of western European Romanian bishops, the theme of which was “Conscience and Canonical Orthodox Ecclesiology,” at the headquarters of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of Italy here during the last week of November 2010.

Attending the gathering, the third of its kind, were bishops from the Metropolia of Western and Southern Europe and the Metropolia of Germany, Central and North Europe, according to the Romanian Patriarchate’s news agency “Basilica.”

Quoting His Grace, Bishop Siluan of Italy, Basilica reported that the meeting provided an opportunity for the hierarchs to share pastoral experiences in their respective regions and to discuss various aspects of mission, Christian identity, and the sharing of the faith and traditions in light of major westward emigration of Romanians witnessed since the fall of communism in Romania.

During the gathering the hierarchs celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Rome’s mid-second century Saint Callistus Catacombs.

For more information and a photo gallery, visit www.basilica.ro/ro/diaspora_ortodoxa_romana/ierarhii_ortodocsi_romani_din_europa_occidentala_si_america_se_intalnesc_la_roma_9254.html.