Pope Leo XIV takes part in commemoration of Romanian catholic bishop

On Monday, June 2, Pope Leo XIV took part in a commemoration ceremony for Cardinal Iuliu Hossu, bishop of the Romanian United Church. In 1918, Hossu read the Declaration of Union of Transylvania with the Kingdom of Romania, marking the birth of modern Romania.

Hossu was commemorated in Italy through a series of public diplomacy events organized by the Romanian Embassy and the Vatican between June 1–2.

On this occasion, Romanian officials and United Church representatives presented two significant works of art: a mosaic portrait of Cardinal Hossu and an allegorical painting of the Blaj Cathedral, titled “The Church in Shackles” to the pope. The painting, created by Alexandra Belciug, represents the suffering and martyrdom of the Greek-Catholic Church.

Meanwhile, Mugur Isărescu, Governor of the National Bank of Romania, presented the Holy Father with a silver medal issued by the National Bank in honor of Cardinal Iuliu Hossu. The Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania gave the pope a Torah scroll saved during the persecution of the Holocaust period.

“Cardinal Hossu’s message is more relevant than ever. What he did for the Jews in Romania, the actions he took to protect his neighbor despite all risks and dangers, show him as a model of a free, courageous, and generous man, even to the point of the ultimate sacrifice. Therefore, his motto ‘Our faith is our life’ should become the motto of each one of us,” the pope said during the ceremony.

Famed Romanian violinist Alexandru Tomescu played the Stradivarius violin during the event held in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican and attended by the pope.

“I share with you the emotion of the immense joy of playing Ciprian Porumbescu’s Ballad and Bach in the Sistine Chapel, at the Vatican, in the presence of Pope Leo XIV and an extraordinary audience. I am overwhelmed with emotion and extremely honored, as a musician, to be invited to this event, to bring the music of the world to this fabulous place and before the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV,” Alexandru Tomescu wrote on his Facebook page.

To mark the event, a relative of Iuliu Hossu read excerpts from the Romanian cardinal’s memoirs, evoking his faith, the power of forgiveness, and the inner freedom he preserved even in the face of repression under Romania’s communist regime.

(Photo source: Vatican Media)