REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

Laura-Mihaela LELUłIU et al.: A Life Dedicated to Romanian United Church and Nation ... 79
His great friend, Alexandru Todea, the future cardinal, would find him there in two
years (1934) and would leave him in 1940, while Aurel LeluŃiu would remain one more
year, obtaining two doctorates – one in Byzantine Theology, the other in Oriental
Ecclesiastical Sciences, both acquired with maximum degree "magna cum laude
probatus".
On 25.03.1939, the Feast of the Annunciation, both were ordained deacons [4].
Whilst he was at Rome, his benefactor, uncle Alexandru died; in a letter sent home at
OlteŃ, he expressed his conviction that everything happening to us proceeded from God’s
will and therefore must be meekly received, as Jesus received his suffering and death on
the Cross.
Returned in the country, in 1942, he was appointed teacher of Religion at the High-
School "Sfântul Vasile cel Mare" from Blaj, and the bishop Ioan Suciu appointed him
professor of Moral Philosophy at the Theological Academy from Blaj (according to the
document nr.3252 / 1947, signed by the famous Bishop Ioan Suciu).
When, in January 1945, the vicar of Târgu Mureş, Iosif Pop, needed teachers at the
High-School "Papiu Ilarian", the priest Aurel LeluŃiu promptly arrived there, serving the
restoration of the Romanian education.
Processes and imprisonment
In 1948 the United Church persecution begins, it is not exempt any professor Dr. Aurel
LeluŃiu Priest. Rev. Prof. Dr. Aurel LeluŃiu occupied before 1948, the post of director of
community spirit Congregation of Our Lady of Blaj, but the same year he was arrested
along with a group of nuns from here and went to the monastery Obreja near Blaj.
Through a combination of circumstances, he escaped and hid until 1951, when he was
arrested, brought to Bucharest , to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, judged and given life
sentence by the Military Court of Bucharest, a sentence commuted thereafter to 25 years,
whereof he executed 14.
Release from prison of Gherla was made on 23 august 1964, under order no. 3950 of
31.07.1964, stating that he was sentenced "because the crime of conspiracy," with the
sentence no. 396/1952.
In the release note from the Prison of Gherla, no. 3950 from 31 .VII. 1964, there is
specified he was condemned for "conspiracy crime", through the sentence no. 396/1952.
In the prisons, he was steadfast in faith and had a dignified behaviour. He was very hard
on himself but very tolerant to other people [4], [5].
He passed through the prisons of Jilava, Sighet, Râmnicu Sărat, Piteşti and Gherla.
Returned home, he settled in Blaj, where he daily oficiated the Holy Mass, with the
participation of a great number of believers, despite the very severe surveillance of the
Security, and he was the confessor of many intellectual families.
After the release from prisons, he settled at Blaj, but simultaneously activated at OlteŃ
and in Bucharest, being the superior of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart.
The priest Aurel LeluŃiu, together with the Greek-Catholic bishops, was also the coauthor
of several memorials and reports towards the country’s government and towards
the Holy See, drawn up in the hope of a dialogue with the State’s authorities, for the
Greek-Catholic’s Church right to existence.
Unexpected death of Fr Aurel LeluŃiu occurred on December 23, 1980, the station in
Bournemouth, due to a heart attack.