On the 24th and 25th of May, during an official visit to Cluj-Napoca, His Excellency Mr. Roberto Musneci, Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta to Romania, held important meetings with the city’s mayor, Emil Boc, deputy mayor Dan Tarcea, and the Ambassador of Serbia, H.E. Stefan Tomasevic. This visit highlighted the active involvement of the Sovereign Order of Malta in the social, cultural, and spiritual life of the Cluj community, confirming the excellent relations between local authorities and the Order.
During his stay in Cluj, Ambassador Musneci had the pleasure of visiting a symbolic building for the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church: the cathedral under construction in the center of Cluj, dedicated to the martyrs and confessors of the faith in the 20th century. He thanked Father Mircea Marțian, the Greek-Catholic archpriest of Cluj, for the warmth of his welcome and for the presentation of the historical exhibition dedicated to the Byzantine Rite Catholic Church in Romania. The Ambassador had the opportunity to experience a moment of reflection in the St. Joseph Chapel, which hosts a vibrant community with many young people and children, as well as to visit the Cardinal Iuliu Hossu Hall, where numerous cultural events are held.
He also met with artist Marian Furtună, one of the most renowned Greek-Catholic church painters, who is working on beautifying the cathedral under construction. The Ambassador gladly accepted the invitation to participate, together with other members of the Sovereign Order of Malta, in the consecration of these works, which is expected to take place in December.
Another special opportunity during the visit was accepting the invitation from Father Remus Tegzeșiu to visit the “Elevation of the Holy Cross” Greek-Catholic Parish Church in the Făget district. There, Ambassador Musneci venerated the relics of the Holy Cross, of Saint Andrew the Apostle, and of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, which are housed in the church in Cluj. He also admired the mosaics created in collaboration with the renowned Beato Angelico Institute in Milan, as well as an amazing exhibition of Byzantine icons painted by Ukrainian artists on the lids of ammunition boxes—symbols of death transformed into instruments of salvation through hope.
Father Remus Tegzeșiu led the visit to the Museum of the Holy Cross, set up in the former parish house, which hosted Greek-Catholic liturgies during the period when the church was under construction and has now become an exhibition space. The crucifixes come from several continents and from various rites of the Catholic Church. Father Remus Tegzeșiu was active for a long time within the Maltese Aid Service in Cluj and continues to keep the Knights of Malta, as well as Maltese volunteers, in his prayers.
This visit once again underscored the commitment of the Sovereign Order of Malta to support the local community through social, cultural, and spiritual projects, in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation.
