Pope Francis has been invited to visit the Romanian city of Blaj, the center of Greek-Catholicism in Romania, next year. Talks about the Pope's visit to Romania next year have intensified in recent weeks.

“There is an invitation addressed by His Beatitude Cardinal Lucian, so an official invitation, not only a personal one but also in the name of the Synod, of all bishops, to come to Blaj,” Claudiu, the Major Archdiocesan Curia Bishop of Blaj, told local Agerpres.

He also added that Pope Francis might also attend the ceremony that will mark the beatification of seven martyr bishops.

Last week, Ioan Robu, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bucharest, said that it’s “almost certain” that Pope Francis will visit Romania in 2018, following invitations from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Romanian Presidency. He also said that the Pope’s visit to Romania would coincide with the ceremony of beatification of seven Greek-Catholic martyrs who lost their lives during the communist regime between 1950-1970.

President Klaus Iohannis also said in late March that he believes that His Holiness Pope Francis will come to Romania in 2018.

The first and only pontiff who has visited Romania so far was Pope John Paul II, who came to the country in May 1999.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com