It’s been 170 years since the Greek Catholic metropolia of Romania was established, and such anniversary is marked by Romanian Greek Catholics with a symposium and a solemn Mass in Blaj. The two events are also opening the autumn session of the Synod of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church. The symposium started this afternoon with a message from card. Lucian Mureșan, Major Archbishop of the Romanian Church United with Rome, which is the Greek Catholic Church. The cardinal mentioned the Bull “Ecclesiam Christi ex omni lingua”, with which in 1853 Pope Pius IX raised the Romanian Greek Catholic Church to the status of an archeparchy and metropolia. In addition, he recalled the time of the persecution (1948-1989), “when the Greek Catholic Church received the crown of martyrdom, for the Glory of God and for the salvation of the souls”. Card. Mureșan also placed emphasis on the contribution made by Romanian Greek Catholics “to the treasure of Catholicism with the richness and beauty of their liturgical, spiritual and disciplinary heritage” and to the modernisation of Romanian society through its educational and cultural institutions. “The Romanian Greek Catholic Church has widely proven that one can be a good Catholic and a good Romanian at the same time”, stated the cardinal, who thanked God and confirmed his loyalty to the Holy Father. On Tuesday morning, the Romanian Greek Catholic Bishops will celebrate Divine Liturgy in the chapel where the first metropolitan Bishop, mgr. Alexandru Șterca-Șuluțiu, is buried.