Alexandru Rusu (22 November 1884 – 9 May 1963) was a Romanian bishop of the

Greek-Catholic Church The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...

. One of twelve children born to a priest in

Șăulia Șăulia ( hu, Mezősályi, Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania that is composed of four villages: Leorința-Șăulia (''Lőrincidűlő''), Măcicășești (''Szteuniadülő''), Pădurea (''Erdőtanya'') ...

Commune, Mureș County, he was himself ordained a priest in 1910. Rusu was ordained Bishop of Maramureş in 1931. After the church's leadership fell vacant in 1941, he was chosen its new head (Major Archbishop of Fagaraş and Alba Iulia) in 1946, a decision approved by the Holy See but not by the

Communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

-dominated Petru Groza government. Rusu was arrested in October 1948 by the authorities of the new Communist regime which had outlawed the church, and he was held in two monasteries, in Sighet prison, and then in two other monasteries. In 1957, a military tribunal found him guilty of "instigation and high treason". Rusu was sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment and he ended up at

Gherla prison Gherla Prison is a penitentiary located in the Romanian city of Gherla, in Cluj County. The prison dates from 1785; it is infamous for the treatment of its political inmates, especially during the Communist regime. In Romanian slang the generic wo ...

, where he died of illness. On 19 March 2019, Pope Francis approved the beatification of Rusu and six other Greek-Catholic bishops who died while serving as political prisoners under the communist regime in Romania in the mid-20th century. Rusu and the other six Romanian Catholic prelates were beatified personally by Pope Francis at Liberty Field in Blaj, Romania by Pope Francis on 2 June 2019."A joyous celebration in Romania as Pope Francis beatifies seven bishop-martyrs"
''America Magazine''. 2 June 2019.
''RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty''. 2 June 2019.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rusu, Alexandru 1884 births 1963 deaths People from Mureș County Primates of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church Romanian anti-communist clergy Romanian beatified people People convicted of treason against Romania Inmates of Sighet prison Inmates of Gherla prison Romanian people who died in prison custody Prisoners who died in Securitate custody 19th-century Romanian people 20th-century Eastern Catholic archbishops 20th-century Romanian people Venerated Catholics Beatifications by Pope Francis Eastern Catholic bishops in Romania