The Greek Catholic diocese of Oradea Mare is the

Eparchy Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on th ...

of the

Romanian Greek Catholic Church 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 ...

for the area of

Oradea Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The county seat, seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the ...

. It was founded in 1777, followers of the Greek Rite having been up to that time under the jurisdiction of the Latin bishop. Originally the see was a suffragan of

Esztergom Esztergom ( ; german: Gran; la, Solva or ; sk, Ostrihom, known by alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the right bank of the river Danu ...

(Gran); when, however, in 1853 the Greek Catholic ''Diocese of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia'' became the

Archdiocese of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

, the diocese of Oradea Mare was transferred to its jurisdiction. The see is divided into six archidiaconates and 19 vice-archidiaconates.

Bishops

The list of the

eparch Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on t ...

(bishops) of the Greek Catholic Diocese of Oradea Mare is: * Meletie Covaci (born 1707, converted to the Greek Catholic Church in 1736, reigned 1748–1775 as auxiliary bishop of the Latin bishop of Oradea) * Moise Dragoș (born 1725, reigned 1775–1787, under his reign in 1777 the diocese became independent from the Latin bishop] * Ignațiu Darabant (born 1730, reigned 1788–1805) *

Samuil Vulcan Samuil Vulcan (1 August 1758 – 25 December 1839) was the Bishop of the Diocese of Oradea Mare of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church from 1806 to 1839. Life Vulcan was born on 1 August 1758 in Veza, a former village which has since been in ...

(born 1758, reigned 1806–1839) *

Vasile Erdeli Vasile Erdeli (August 1, 1794 – March 17, 1862), also known as the Vasile Erdeli-Ardeleanu, was a Romanian bishop of the Diocese of Oradea Mare, between 1843 and 1862. Origins and education Vasile Erdeli was born in Makó, Csanád County, Ki ...

(born 1794, reigned 1842–1862) * Iosif Papp-Szilágyi (Sălăjeanul) (born 1813, reigned 1863–1873) *

Ioan Olteanu Ioan Olteanu (14 December 1839 – 29 November 1877) was a Romanian Greek Catholic hierarch. He was bishop of the Romanian Catholic Eparchy of Lugoj from 1870 to 1873 and the Romanian Catholic Eparchy of Oradea Mare from 1873 to 1877. Born in ...

(born 1839, reigned 1873–1877) *

Mihail Pavel Mihail Pavel (6 September 1827 – 1 June 1902) was a Romanian Greek Catholic hierarch. He was bishop of the Romanian Catholic Eparchy of Gherla, Armenopoli, Szamos-Ujvár from 1872 to 1879 and the Romanian Catholic Eparchy of Oradea Mare from 1 ...

(born 1827, reigned 1879–1902) *

Demetriu Radu Demetriu Radu (26 October 1861 – 8 December 1920) was between 1897 and 1903 the Greek Catholic Bishop of Lugoj, and from 1903 to 1920 the Greek Catholic Bishop of Oradea Mare. Origins and studies Demetriu Radu was born of peasant parents ...

(born 1861, reigned 1903–1920) *

Valeriu Traian Frențiu Valeriu Traian Frențiu (25 April 1875 – 11 July 1952) was the Bishop of the Eparchy of Oradea Mare of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church from 1922 to his death in 1952. His beatification occurred on 2 June 2019.< ...

(born 1875, reign started in 1922. In 1948 the

Communist Romania The Socialist Republic of Romania ( ro, Republica Socialistă România, RSR) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist One-party state, one-party socialist state that existed officially in Romania from 1947 to 1989. From 1947 to 1965, the s ...

abolished the Greek Catholic Church. Frențiu was persecuted and died in prison in 1952) *

Iuliu Hirțea Iuliu Hirțea (13 April 1914—28 June 1978) was a Romanian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church. Born in Vintere village, Bihor County, he attended high school in Beiuș, entering the seminary in Oradea upon graduation in 1931. A year later ...

(born 1914, he was the clandestine bishop of Oradea from 1952. He spent many years in prison. Died in 1978) ** 1978–1990 vacant due to the persecution under the Communist Regime, until the

Romanian Revolution of 1989 The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred i ...

* Vasile Hossu (born 1919, reigned 1990–1997) *

Virgil Bercea Virgil Bercea (born 1957) is the Bishop of the Eparchy of Oradea Mare of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church since 1997. Life Virgil Bercea was born on 9 December 1957 in Habic, Mureș County, Romania. He studied in his town, and after the mili ...

(born 1957, reigned 1997–incumbent)

Notable priests

Alexander Ratiu Priesthood (Catholic Church), Father Alexander Ratiu ( ro, Rațiu; 4 May 1916 – 25 July 2002) was a Romanian people, Romanian-American priest of the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, Romanian Greek-Catholic Church. While serving ...

References

External links

*
Official site

{{authority control Oradea

Romanian Greek Catholic Church dioceses Religious organizations established in 1777 Dioceses established in the 18th century