Pope Francis has fundamentally changed the way in which the Church relates to the challenges of the modern world and he will go down in history as a bold reformer, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest Aurel Perca said on Monday.

'Today, on Easter Monday, when we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, symbol of the victory of life over death and of eternal hope, His Holiness Pope Francis has passed to the Lord, leaving behind an impressive legacy of charity, mercy and dialogue among peoples. We cannot help thinking how, just yesterday, in his message 'Urbi et Orbi', he urged us: 'Christ is risen! This announcement encompasses the entire meaning of our existence, which is not made for death but for life. Easter is the feast of life! God created us for life and wants humanity to rise again!'. We are blessed to have been contemporaries of a Pontiff who has fundamentally changed the way the Church relates to the challenges of the modern world. Jorge Mario Bergoglio - Pope Francis - will go down in history as a bold reformer, a tireless promoter of dialogue and peace and, above all, as a shepherd who led his flock by his personal example of humility and service,' said the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest.

His Eminence Aurel Perca mentions that, in the almost 12 years of his Pontificate, Pope Francis has set as his agenda to bring the Church closer to people, especially the marginalized and the suffering. His choice of the name Francis, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, reflected his deep commitment to the poor and excluded. His symbolic gestures - from washing the feet of detainees and migrants to embracing the severely disabled - showed the world that human dignity transcends any social or physical barriers. Through his concrete initiatives of solidarity with those on the margins of society, Pope Francis has set an example that true faith is manifested in actions, not just words.

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest recalls the historic visit of Pope Francis to Romania, from May 31 to June 2, 2019, which remains a landmark in the history of relations between the Catholic Church and our country.

'For the Catholic Church in Romania, Pope Francis' pontificate was marked by historic moments of profound spiritual significance. The beatification of the Blessed Martyr Vladimir Ghika in Bucharest (August 30, 2013) and that of the Blessed Martyr Bishop Anton Durcovici in Iasi (May 17, 2014) brought to light their heroic testimonies of faith in the face of the oppression of the totalitarian communist regime, offering our local Church a model of holiness for the present. Pope Francis also made us the gift of the beatification of the seven Greek-Catholic martyred bishops in 2019, right during his visit to Blaj (June 2, 2019), as the supreme recognition of their sacrifice for the faith during the communist persecution. Another Romanian Blessed, Veronica Antal, was also raised to the honor of the altars during the pontificate of Pope Francis (September 22, 2018),' added H.E. Aurel Perca.

According to him, for the bishops, priests, consecrated persons and the Catholic faithful in Romania, Pope Francis has been a spiritual father who deeply understood the local realities and constantly encouraged the development of a living Church, actively involved in the life of the communities of which it is a part.

'In these moments, the Catholic community in Romania is united in prayer with the whole Universal Church. The Jubilee 2025, which Pope Francis wanted under the title 'Pilgrims of Hope', will remind us throughout this year of the importance of Christian hope - may this message remain Pope Francis' legacy for us. At the same time, we will never forget Pope Francis' exhortation 'Let us walk together', the motto under which his visit to Romania took place, more relevant now than ever,' added the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest. AGERPRES (RO - editor: Antonia Nita; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)