Valeriu Traian Frențiu (25 April 1875 – 11 July 1952) was the

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of the Eparchy of Oradea Mare of the

Romanian Greek Catholic Church The Romanian Greek Catholic Church or Romanian Church United with Rome is a '' sui iuris'' Eastern Catholic Church, in full union with the Catholic Church. It has the rank of a Major Archiepiscopal Church and it uses the Byzantine liturgical r ...

between 1922 and 1952. He was

beatified Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the ...

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

in 2019. Frențiu is

venerated Veneration (; ), or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Veneration of saints is practiced, ...

on the 11th of July."A joyous celebration in Romania as Pope Francis beatifies seven bishop-martyrs"
''America Magazine''. 2 June 2019."Pope to beatify martyrs, visit Marian shrine on trip to Romania"
''National Catholic Reporter''. 25 March 2019.

Early life

Frențiu was born in

Reșița Reșița (; ; ; ; ; ; ) is a city in western Romania and the capital of Caraș-Severin County. It is located in the Banat region. The city had a population of 58,393 in 2021. It administers six villages: Câlnic (''Kölnök''), Cuptoare (''Kupt ...

to Ioachim and Rozalia Frențiu. His father, Ioachim, served as a parish administrator in Valea Lungă and later as a priest in Reșița. Frențiu completed high school at "Saint Basil the Great" High School in

Blaj Blaj (; archaically spelled as ''Blaș''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Blußendref'') is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 17,816 inhabitants as of 2021. The city administers eight villages: Deleni-Obârșie ('' ...

and studied theology at the

University of Budapest A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

. He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

on 20 September 1898 after graduating. Soon after his graduation, he received a scholarship at the Augustineum in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, where he remained until 1902, earning the title of

Doctor of Theology Doctor of Theology (, abbreviated DTh, ThD, DTheol, or Dr. theol.) is a terminal degree in the academic discipline of theology. The ThD, like the ecclesiastical Doctor of Sacred Theology, is an advanced research degree equivalent to the Doctor o ...

. Between 1902 and 1904, he served as a notary and diocesan archivist in

Lugoj Lugoj (; ; ; ; ; ) is a list of cities and towns in Romania, city in Timiș County, Romania. The Timiș, Timiș River divides the city into two halves: the "Romanian Lugoj" that spreads on the right bank, and the "German Lugoj" on the left bank. Th ...

. Between 1904 and 1912, he served as a priest in

Orăștie Orăștie (; , , , '' Transylvanian Saxon'': Brooss) is a small town and municipality in Hunedoara County, south-western Transylvania, central Romania. History 7th–9th century – On the site of an old swamp was a human settlement, ...

. In 1912, he was named

Vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

Hațeg Hațeg (; ; ) is a town in Hunedoara County, Romania with a population of 8,793 as of 2021. Three villages are administered by the town: Nălațvad (''Nalácvád''), Silvașu de Jos (''Alsószilvás''), and Silvașu de Sus (''Felsőszilvás''). I ...

As bishop of Lugoj and Oradea

On 4 November 1912, Frențiu was named bishop of the Eparchy of Lugoj. His consecration took place on 14 January 1913 at the

Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Holy Trinity Cathedral, Cathedral of the Holy Trinity or Trinity Cathedral may refer to: Africa * Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa), Ethiopia * Holy Trinity Cathedral (Accra), Ghana Americas Canada *Holy Trinity Cathedral (New Westminster), Br ...

in Blaj.

Metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

Victor Mihaly de Apșa Victor Mihaly de Apşa, commonly Victor Mihali (May 19, 1841—January 21, 1918), was an ethnic Romanian Austro-Hungarian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church. Born to an old noble family in Ieud, Maramureș County,Demetriu Radu Demetriu Radu (26 October 1861 – 8 December 1920) was between 1897 and 1903 the Greek Catholic Roman Catholic Diocese of Lugo, Bishop of Lugoj, and from 1903 to 1920 the Greek Catholic Romanian Catholic Eparchy of Oradea Mare, Bishop of Orad ...

and Vasile Hossu were present. On 25 February 1922, he was transferred to the Eparchy of Oradea Mare. Despite the loss of several properties during his episcopate, he oversaw the construction and renovation of several churches and parish houses between 1925 and 1939. Frențiu went on visits ad limina in 1923 and 1925, during the latter of which he was joined by

Iuliu Hossu Iuliu Hossu (30 January 1885 – 28 May 1970) was a Romanian Romanian Greek-Catholic Uniate Church, Greek-Catholic prelate who served as the Cluj-Gherla Diocese, Bishop of Cluj-Gherla. Pope Paul VI elevated Hossu to the rank of Cardinal (Cathol ...

and

Alexandru Nicolescu Alexandru Nicolescu (8 July 1882 – 5 June 1941) was a Romanian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church. Born in Tulgheș, Harghita County, Transylvania, he studied at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome from 1898 to 1904, ear ...

, as well as a number of laypeople. In 1926, as recognition for his activity, he was given the honorary title of Grand Officer of the

Order of the Crown of Romania The Order of the Crown of Romania is a chivalric order set up on 14 March 1881 by King Carol I of Romania to commemorate the establishment of the Kingdom of Romania. It was awarded as a state order until the end of the Romanian monarchy in 1947. ...

. On 15-16 June 1927, on the 150th anniversary of the Eparchy of Oradea Mare,

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...

accorded him the title of

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

. Frențiu sponsored the activity of local Christian periodicals "Vestitorul" and "Observatorul", published in

Oradea Oradea (, , ; ; ) is a city in Romania, located in the Crișana region. It serves as the administrative county seat, seat of Bihor County and an economic, social, and cultural hub in northwestern Romania. The city lies between rolling hills on ...

and

Beiuș Beiuș (; ) is a municipiu, city in Bihor County, Romania near the Apuseni Mountains. The river Crișul Negru flows through Beiuș, and the city administers a single village, Delani (''Gyalány''). Between the late 18th and very early 20th centu ...

, respectively. Frențiu also sought the promotion of the Oradea Theological Seminary to the rank of academy. In 1937, Frențiu consecrated three churches, in Mădăras, Istrău and

Bocșa Bocșa (; ; ) is a town in Caraș-Severin County, in the Banat region of Romania, with a population of 12,949 in 2021. Etymology The name "Bocșa" is believed to originate from the Slavic word "bok," meaning "side" or "hill," which reflects t ...

. Following the death of Metropolitan

in 1941, he was appointed to the Archdiocese of Alba Iulia and Făgăraș, where he remained until his return to the Eparchy of Oradea Mare in 1947. During his absence, he appointed

Ioan Suciu Ioan Suciu (December 4, 1907 – June 27, 1953) was a Romanian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church, born into a clerical family in Blaj. Suciu studied in Rome, Italy first at Sant'Atanasio and then at the ''Pontificium Institutum Internation ...

to serve as bishop in his place.

Imprisonment during the
Communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...

Frențiu was arrested without a trial by the

Securitate The Department of State Security (), commonly known as the Securitate (, ), was the secret police agency of the Socialist Republic of Romania. It was founded on 30 August 1948 from the '' Siguranța'' with help and direction from the Soviet MG ...

on 28 October 1948 as part of the

anti-religious campaign in Communist Romania The anti-religious campaign of communist Romania was initiated by the People's Republic of Romania and continued by the Socialist Republic of Romania, which under the doctrine of Marxist–Leninist atheism took a hostile stance against religion and ...

. On 31 October 1948, he was transferred to Dragoslavele and held in a parish house used by the Communist authorities as a prison. He received several visits from

Patriarch Justinian of Romania Justinian Marina (; born Ioan Marina ; February 2, 1901 – March 26, 1977) was a Romanian Orthodox prelate. He was the third patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, serving between 1948 and 1977. Parish priest in the Râmnic Diocese I ...

and then-bishop

Teoctist Arăpașu Teoctist (, born Toader Arăpașu, 7 February 1915 – 30 July 2007) was the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church from 1986 to 2007. Teoctist served his first years as patriarch under the Communist Romania, Romanian Communist regime, and ...

. In 1949, he was moved to

Căldărușani Monastery Căldărușani Monastery (Romanian: ''Mănăstirea Căldărușani'') is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located in the town of Gruiu, Ilfov County, Romania, by the Căldărușani Lake. The monastery complex is listed as a historic monument and inclu ...

Gruiu Gruiu is a commune in the northeastern part of Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania. Its name in the Romanian language means "small hill". It is composed of four villages: Gruiu, Lipia, Siliștea Snagovului and Șanțu-Florești. The commune is situat ...

. On

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...

of the same year, within the monastery, Frențiu consecrated Ioan Cherteș as bishop. Frențiu refused to convert to

Eastern Orthodoxy Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

, despite having been asked to do so repeatedly during this time.

Death

In 1950, he was moved to

Sighet Prison The Sighet Prison, located in the city of Sighetu Marmației, Maramureș County, Romania, was used by Romania to hold criminals, prisoners of war, and political prisoners. It is now the site of the Sighet Memorial Museum, part of the Memorial ...

, where he died on 11 July 1952. He was buried at nighttime, without a

coffin A coffin or casket is a funerary box used for viewing or keeping a corpse, for burial, entombment or cremation. Coffins are sometimes referred to as caskets, particularly in American English. A distinction is commonly drawn between "coffins" a ...

, and the grave was leveled. Communist authorities sought to keep the location of his burial a secret, in order to avoid potential pilgrimages to it. The news of Frențiu's death spread throughout the prison during the next morning. According to the memoirs of

, Frențiu was mourned. He recounts: "they took part with all their spirit, as they have told me, through their messengers, whispering at my cell door; they took part in mourning, and held funerals in their heart."

Beatification

On 19 March 2019,

approved Frenţiu's beatification, along with six other bishops who died as a result of imprisonment in

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

.Brockhaus, Hannah
"Seven 20th-century Romanian bishops declared martyrs"
''Catholic News Agency''. Pope Francis personally presided over the beatification of Frențiu and the other six bishops at

Liberty Field Liberty is the state of being freedom, free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constit ...

, Romania on 2 June 2019."Pope Warns Of Divisive Ideologies As He Beatifies Romanian Bishops"
''RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty''.

Gallery

File:Beius Biserica Greco-Catolica.jpg, Church in

, renovated at Frenţiu's expense File:Beius Placa memoriala Bis. Gr.-Cat.jpg, Memorial plaque in

File:Alexander Ratiu is 5th person from left on back row. Bishop VT Frentiu is sitting.jpg, Frențiu with other priests (center, sitting).

References

Bibliography

* Ioan M. Bota, ''Istoria Bisericii universale și a Bisericii românești de la origini până în zilele noastre'', Casa de Editură „Viața Creștină”, Cluj-Napoca, 1994. *

Ioan Ploscaru Ioan Ploscaru (19 November 1911 – 31 July 1998) was a Romanian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church. Born into a peasant family in Frata commune, Cluj County, he studied in Blaj. He was ordained a priest in 1933 and a bishop in November 19 ...

, ''Lanțuri și Teroare'', Editura Signata, Timișoara, 1993,

External links

Cei 12 Episcopi Martiri: PS Valeriu Traian Frentiu

Episcopia de Oradea Mare

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frentiu, Valeriu Traian 1875 births 1952 deaths People from Reșița Beatifications by Pope Francis Romanian Austro-Hungarians Romanian Greek-Catholic bishops Romanian beatified people Romanian anti-communist clergy 19th-century Romanian clergy 20th-century Romanian people Inmates of Sighet prison Romanian people who died in prison custody Prisoners who died in Securitate custody Delegates of the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia Eastern Catholic bishops in Romania