Roman Catholicism in Romania

The Roman Catholic Church in Romania ( ro, Biserica Romano-Catolică din România, hu, Romániai Római Katolikus Egyház, german: Römisch-katholische Kirche in Rumänien) is a Latin Rite Christian church, part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome. Its administration for the Latin Church is centered in Bucharest, and comprises two archdioceses and four other dioceses. It is the second largest Romanian denomination after the Romanian Orthodox Church, and one of the 18 state-recognized religions. Overall data for 2011 indicated that there were 870,774 Romanian citizens adhering to the Roman Catholic Church (4.3% of the population). Of these, the largest groups were Hungarians (approx. 500,000, including Székely and Csángó), Romanians (approx. 300,000), Germans (approx. 20,000) and Slovaks (approx. 9,000)."Populaţia stabilă după etnie şi religie – categorii de localităţi"
retrieved February 21, 2015"Biserica Romano-Catolică"
, at the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs
Under-Secretariat for Culture and Religious Affairs
retrieved February 21, 2015

Most Roman Catholics inhabit the region of Transylvania and Bacău County in Moldavia.Earl A. Pope, "Protestantism in Romania", in Sabrina Petra Ramet (ed.), ''Protestantism and Politics in Eastern Europe and Russia: The Communist and Postcommunist Eras'', Duke University Press, Durham, 1992, p.158-160. The smaller Roman Catholic communities include Banat Bulgarians, Italians, Poles, Croats and Krashovani, Czechs and Romani people.''Diversitate etnoculturală în Europa''
at th
Resource Center for Ethno-cultural Diversity
retrieved July 25, 2007

The Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic is a related ''sui iuris'' Catholic Church which uses the Byzantine Rite. It has separate jurisdiction, five eparchies, and one archeparchy headed by a major archbishop (thus the church has its own synod), and has historically been strongest in Transylvania. The majority of its members are Romanians, with groups of Ukrainians from northern Romania. Members of the Armenian community who adhere to the Armenian Rite are grouped in the Roman Catholic-led Gherla Vicariate.

Structure

The main Latin archdiocese is the Archdiocese of Bucharest, a metropolitan bishopric for the entire country, directly overseeing the regions of Muntenia, Northern Dobruja and Oltenia; it has around 52,000 parishioners, most of them Romanians. The other diocese of its rank, the Archdiocese of Alba Iulia (in Alba Iulia), groups the region of Transylvania-proper (without Maramureş and Crişana), and has around 480,000 mostly Hungarian parishioners."Arhiepiscopia Alba Iulia"
, at the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs
Under-Secretariat for Culture and Religious Affairs
retrieved July 25, 2007 Four other dioceses function in Romania and are based, respectively, in Timișoara (the Diocese of Timișoara, representing the Banat), Oradea (the Diocese of Oradea, for Crişana), Satu Mare (the Diocese of Satu Mare, for Maramureş), and Iaşi (the Diocese of Iaşi, for Moldavia).

The Church presently runs a faculty of theology (as part of the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca), four theological institutes, six medical schools and sixteen seminaries (''see Religious education in Romania''). Among the journals issued by Catholic institutions are the Romanian-language ''Actualitatea Creştină'' (Bucharest) and ''Lumina Creştinului'' (Iaşi), as well as the Hungarian-language ''Keresztény Szó'' and ''Vasárnap'' (both in Cluj-Napoca). It leads a network of charitable organizations and other social ventures, administrated by its ''Caritas'' foundation or the religious institutes; it includes kindergartens, orphanages, social canteens, medical facilities.

History

Medieval period

The oldest traces of Catholic activities on present-day Romanian territory were recorded in Transylvania, in connection to the extension of Magyar rule and the region's integration into the Kingdom of Hungary (''see History of Transylvania''). Inaugurated by the early presence of Benedictines, these were strengthened by the colonization of Transylvanian Saxons, as well as by missionary activities among the local Vlach (Romanian) population and forceful conversions. The Diocese of Alba Iulia (''Gyulafehérvár'') was probably set up in the 11th century."Transylvania", in the ''Catholic Encyclopedia'', Encyclopedia Press, New York, 1913Ştefănescu, p.80 Tradition holds that this was done under supervision from King Stephen I — according to the ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' of 1913, a more likely patron is Ladislaus I, who ruled almost a century after (the first bishop it lists is Simon, who held the see between 1103 and 1113).

Other dioceses were created in Cenad (''Csanád'') and Oradea (''Nagyvárad''). They were subordinated to the Archbishop of Kalocsa, part of the Catholic Church in Hungary. The northern area comprised in the ''comitatus'' of Máramaros was originally part of the Alba Iulia Diocese, while the southern one, Szeben, was a provostship not comprised in any bishopric (and thus exempt).

During the rule of Béla IV, the Catholic hierarchy was disestablished by the Mongol incursion (''see Battle of Mohi''), and only recovered after 1300. In 1304, Pope Boniface VIII sent the first Catholic missionaries from Transylvania into the lands over the Carpathian Mountains (the area known as "Cumania"), where Eastern Orthodox bishops were already present.Ştefănescu, p.112 A ''Diocese of Cumania'' was created on the Milcov, in areas later ruled by Moldavia and Wallachia. Its assets were granted by the Hungarian rulers, whose claimed suzerainty over the region,Ştefănescu, p.116 and it extended over parts of Székely Land.

The Diocese of Cumania disappeared for a while, as locals took over its property, but was revived in 1332–1334, when Pope John XXII appointed the Franciscan Vitus de Monteferro, the chaplain of King Charles Robert, as the new bishop. Direct control over the congregation was made difficult by the intrusion of the Golden Horde, who had set up its base in the region later known as Budjak (present-day southern Ukraine). Around 1318, the Dobrujan town of Vicina was part of the Catholic vicariate of "Northern Tartary".

During the 14th century, in the years following the establishment of Moldavia and Wallachia as separate states (the Danubian Principalities), Roman Catholic clerics arriving mainly from Jagiellon Poland and Transylvania set up the first Roman Catholic congregations over the Carpathians.

In both countries, as a result of stately emancipation and lingering conflicts with the Hungarian Kingdom, the relatively strong Catholic presence receded with the establishment of more powerful Orthodox institutions (the Hungro-Wallachian diocese and the Moldavian diocese). Nevertheless, Roman Catholics remained an important presence in both areas. As a result of fighting between Wallachia's Prince Vladislav I Vlaicu and Hungarian King Louis I, concessions were made by both sides, and Wallachia agreed to tolerate a Catholic bishopric (1368). The following year, Wallachia resumed its anti-Catholic policies.Ştefănescu, p.94 In Moldavia, Prince Laţcu began negotiations with Pope Urban V and agreed to convert to Catholicism (1369); following a period of trouble, this political choice was to be overturned by Petru I during the 1380s. New sees were created in that country: in 1371, the one in Siret, and, under the rule of Alexandru cel Bun, the short-lived one of Baia

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases