The Greek Catholic Eparchy of Maramureș was founded as a consequence of the Concordate between the
Holy See and The
Romanian State concluded on May 10, 1927 and ratified on June 10, 1929.
Data
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Description
With the Bull Sollemni Conventione of June 5, 1930, Catholic Hierarchy of both rites was established all over the territory of the Romanian Kingdom; it was then that the creation of a new diocese, of Maramureș was decided. Its centre was to be at Baia Mare and it was suffragan
A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations.
In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...
of the Metropolitanate
A metropolis religious jurisdiction, or a metropolitan archdiocese, is an episcopal see whose bishop is the metropolitan bishop or archbishop of an ecclesiastical province. Metropolises, historically, have been important cities in their provinces.
...
of Alba Iulia and Făgăraș.
The Diocese of Maramureș included 201 Romanian parishes and all the 38 Ruthene parishes existing on Romanian territory. It was laid under the temporary administration of Dr. Iuliu Hossu
Iuliu Hossu (30 January 1885 – 28 May 1970) was a Romanian Greek-Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Cluj-Gherla. Pope Paul VI elevated Hossu to the rank of cardinal '' in pectore'', that is, secretly, in 1969 but did not publish hi ...
, the bishop of Cluj-Gherla.
The first Bishop of this Diocese, appointed by the Holy See on October 16, 1930, with the approval of the Romanian Government, was Dr. Alexandru Rusu
Alexandru Rusu (22 November 1884 – 9 May 1963) was a Romanian bishop of the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, Greek-Catholic Church. One of twelve children born to a priest in Șăulia Commune, Mureș County, he was himself ord ...
, consecrated
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
on January 30, 1931 and enthroned in his cathedral on February 2, 1931. He led the diocese until 1948, when he was arrested; he died in prison in May 1963.
In 1948, with the Decree nr. 358 of December 1, the whole Romanian Church united with Rome
The Romanian Greek Catholic Church or Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic ( la, Ecclesia Graeco-Catholica Romaniae; ro, Biserica Română Unită cu Roma, Greco-Catolică), sometimes called, in reference to its Byzantine Rite, the ...
was declared illegal.
The second bishop of the diocese, who acted as apostolic administrator, was Dr. Ioan Dragomir Ioan Dragomir (11 October 1905—25 April 1985) was a Romanian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church.
Born into a peasant family in Ariniș, Maramureș County, he attended high school in Zalău and Baia Mare. Dragomir then studied theology in G ...
, consecrated in clandestinity on March 6, 1949, at the nunciature in Bucharest. He was arrested in 1951 and remained in prison until the amnesty of 1964. After that date, he worked in clandestinity. He died on April 25, 1985.
On August 9, 1986, at the diocesan chapter, attended also by Metropolite
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis.
Originally, the term referred to the bis ...
Alexandru Todea, Fr. Lucian Mureșan
Lucian Mureșan (born 23 May 1931) is the first and current Major Archbishop of the Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. As Major Archbishop of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia (resident in Blaj) ...
was elected Ordinarius of the Diocese of Maramureș.
On May 27, 1990, he was consecrated bishop at Baia Mare. Eventually he was appointed Metropolite of the Romanian Church United with Rome. The Diocese of Maramureș was then led by Fr. Ioan Șișeștean, appointed bishop on June 20, 1994, and consecrated on September 11, 1994.
See also
*Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic
The Romanian Greek Catholic Church or Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic ( la, Ecclesia Graeco-Catholica Romaniae; ro, Biserica Română Unită cu Roma, Greco-Catolică), sometimes called, in reference to its Byzantine Rite, the ...
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greek Catholic Diocese of Maramures
Romanian Greek Catholic Church dioceses
Muramures
Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century
Christian organizations established in 1930