About Romania:
Certainly one of Eastern Europe’s most oppressed nations, Romania suffered much during the years of Communism. The infamous dictator Ceausescu, who killed, tortured and imprisoned over two million people, was himself killed (along with his wife) in December 1989. It remains one of Europe’s poorer countries, although economic progress is taking place.
The country is primarily Eastern Orthodox (which was largely left alone by the Communists), with Roman Catholics as a minority.
Geographically, Romania is about 92,000 square miles, a bit smaller than the United Kingdom and roughly the size of the US state of Oregon. The 2021 census reported that approximately 720,00 (3.9% of the population) identified as Roman Catholic, primarily Hungarians (Csangos, Székelys), Germans (Swabians), and Poles, concentrated mainly in the enclaves of the cities of Iasi and Blaj.
Relations remain strained between the Orthodox Church and the Greek Catholic Church (in communion with Rome), whose members suffered greatly under communist rule in Romania and whose properties were confiscated and given to the Orthodox church.
Pope John Paul II visited Romania in May 1999, at the invitation of Patriarch Teoctist of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the first papal visit to a predominantly Orthodox country, a landmark event promoting ecumenism and acknowledging the Greek Catholic Church’s suffering.
Pope Francis visited Romania in 2019, beatifying seven Greek Catholic martyr-bishops and reinforcing the Church’s role in promoting unity and human rights.
Romania is generally considered safe, with most travel advisories recommending that visitors “exercise normal precautions”. It has a low rate of violent crime and scores well on the Global Peace Index, ranking higher than many Western European countries. However, like any destination, there are specific safety precautions travelers should take, primarily regarding petty theft and common scams.
Catholic places of interest in Romania:
Bucharest: Roman Catholic churches & shrines
Craiova: Interesting Catholic Churches
Csiksomlyo: Major Marian Shrine & Miraculous Statue of Our Lady
Iași: Our Lady Queen of Iași Cathedral