Abstract: (Nicholas Catanoy – from romance languages to universality, or the model of the world citizen) The doctor Nicholas Catanoy (pseudonym of the Romanian poet Nicolae Cătănoiu) is a unique case, unusual in the Romanian literature. Poet, prose writer and translator, he represents, due to his cosmopolite structure, the world writer, the model of the global citizen who has travelled on all continents. He has continued the tradition of the Romanian citizen, of the free man of the Roman Empire, the one who was feeling at home in any region governed by the Roman administration. In the present paper we intend to present the work of this polyglot writer, in order to illustrate the Rome’s descendents calling for universality, their capacity to adapt (sometimes to impose) to a variety of extremely different cultures. Starting from his first volume (Hic et nunc), up to his interviews volume (Orfeu and the car), we will present an impressive œuvre, little known in Romania, and a fascinating biography of “a global pilgrim”, as he was called by the Romanian critic Dumitru Micu. His numerous volumes were written in English, Spanish, German and Romanian, and his articles were published in worldwide journals, from Canada to New Zeeland, from the United States of America to India. Nicholas Catanoy was a well respected critic voice who has ensured a normal dialogue between the representatives of the Romanian Diaspora. His endeavour contributed to a better knowledge of the Romanian literature in the world, a country located at the time beyond the Iron Curtain.