His Beatitude Claudiu-Lucian Pop, the newly elected Major Archbishop of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church, elected on 5 November, was enthroned on Saturday in Blaj in the presence of the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, and the Apostolic Nuncio to Romania, Giampiero Gloder.

The enthronement ceremony began with a solemn procession from the Major Archdiocese Curia to the 'Holy Trinity' Cathedral, attended by around one thousand Greek-Catholic priests and faithful from across the country.

According to liturgical tradition, Claudiu-Lucian Pop received the symbols of episcopal service for a Major Archbishop: the mantle, two engolpia, the large omophorion, the mitre, the cross, and the episcopal staff. These episcopal insignia were handed to him by Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti.

The ceremony took place on a ritual carpet depicting the eagle above the citadel of Zion, woven by the faithful women of Sarasau, Maramures, in 1900, based on a design by the painter Octavian Smigelschi.

'The mission entrusted to me can only be fulfilled in the spirit of Church communion, where I must serve all, always together with Their Excellencies, my worthy confreres of the Synod of Bishops, the priests, the nuns, and our faithful. I entrust myself to your prayers so that my service may bring greater glory to God and the salvation of souls, strengthening unity in our Church, communion with the Holy See, and with the entire Catholic Church. With an open heart and love in the Lord, I assure all Churches, communities, and religious denominations in Romania that I wish not only for us to live in peace and mutual respect but also to collaborate, support, and uphold moral values that make society more humane, dignified, and sensitive to the marginalised and disadvantaged. Above all, I believe we are called to bear convincing witness of God's love in contemporary society. I also assure civil authorities and representative institutions that the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church, which has decisively contributed to forming the national conscience and modern Romanian culture, will continue to be a partner in defending the common good, life and dignity of every person, promoting social solidarity across all ethnic or religious boundaries, and in affirming and strengthening Romania's European vocation,' said the new leader of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church.

The ceremony was attended by Greek Catholic bishops, members of the Synod of Bishops of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church, as well as Roman Catholic bishops.

Also present at the 'Holy Trinity' Cathedral were Alba Iulia's Orthodox Archbishop Irineu Pop, the President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania, deputy Silviu Vexler, the head of the Muslim Cult in Romania, Mufti Muurat Iusuf, representatives of the Reformed and Unitarian Churches, the President of the Senate, Mircea Abrudean, the Secretary of State for Religious Affairs, Ciprian Olinici, the State Adviser for Civil Society Relations, Diana Punga, and local and county officials.

Bishop of Cluj-Gherla, Claudiu-Lucian Pop was elected Archbishop and Metropolitan of Alba Iulia and Fagaras and Major Archbishop of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church by the Synod of Bishops, meeting in extraordinary session in Rome.

His election was confirmed by Pope Leo XIV, according to canonical norms.

Claudiu-Lucian Pop succeeds Cardinal Lucian Muresan, who passed away on 25 September at the age of 94.

Claudiu-Lucian Pop, born on 22 July 1972 in Piscolt, Satu Mare, pursued early studies in Jibou and briefly studied chemistry in Bucharest before switching to theology. He studied in Rome from 1991 to 1999, earning a Licentiate in Spiritual Theology (1998) and a Doctorate (2006), and was ordained a priest in 1995. He held roles in the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church in Rome and Paris, serving as vice-rector and then rector of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Mission, and later as Rector of the Pontifical Romanian College in Rome (2007). In 2011, he was elected bishop of the Major Archdiocese Curia and titular bishop of Mariamme. He joined the Permanent Synod and became Secretary of the Synod of Bishops in 2016. He coordinated Pope Francis' 2019 visit to Blaj and was appointed eparchial bishop of Cluj-Gherla in 2021. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Marinela Brumar; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)