REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

A LIFE DEDICATED TO ROMANIAN UNITED
CHURCH AND NATION - PRIESTS AND
TEACHERS DR. AUREL LELUłIU (1914 - 1980)
Introduction
Laura-Mihaela LELUłIU 1 , Ovidiu-Constantin SAVU 2
History of the Greek Catholic Church in Romania or the United Church of Rome, as he
was also known originated and first plans to set up in the late seventeenth century. From
social and political issues of Transylvanian Romanians, the appearance of this cult,
separated from the Orthodox, Romanian, has its beginnings in the seventeenth century
Transylvania and the beginning of the next century. Basically, in terms of the rite does
not change hardly to Orthodox worship, celebrates are the same, only the hierarchical
superior is seen in the Pope of Rome, and instead of the Holy Spirit during the service,
the word Holy Spirit.
For over two centuries the Greek-Catholic Church in Transylvania played an active role
in terms of religion, culture and education among Romanians in the province. Blaj
schools, religious and administrative capital of the Greek Catholics after XVIII century,
gave hundreds of thousands of priests, deacons, teachers, professors, who have direct
contributed to the emancipation of Transylvanian Romanians.
This period in history coincides with the lack of rights and freedoms of Transylvanian
Romanians, for which they fought with plume, wrote memoirs and intelligence
representatives Transylvanian Romanians.
At the end of the Second World War, the situation in Romania, as well as the entire
block of countries in Eastern and Central Europe came under Soviet political influence.
At the end of 1948 the position and security of the Greek Catholic Church, the prelates
and parishioners was seriously threatened by communist government policies that
prohibit illegal acts Greek Catholic worship by "embedding" or "absorption" of , forced
the cult Romanian Orthodox [1].
In Romania, before banning cult believers there were about 1.5 million Greek Catholics,
1,725 churches, 1,594 priests, 34 canons, 75 priests, divided into five dioceses.
In 1948 these bishops holders were John Suciu areas Alba Iulia and Fagaras, Julius
Hossu for Cluj, Oradea FrenŃiu Valeriu Trajan, and Alexandru Ioan Rusu Lugoj Balan in
Maramures. Also, there is a vicar general and Bucharest in the person of Basil Aftenie,
which was named in 1940 for Alba and Fagaras, but remained in Bucharest.
Romanian Greek Catholics still worked in underground after 1948, especially through
the work of Bishop Vasile Suciu, Alexander Todea the future cardinal, and other priests
and prelates less known .
1 Transilvania University of Braşov, Romania.
2 Casa Muresenilor Museum of Brasov, Romania.