Victor Mihaly de Apşa, commonly Victor Mihali (May 19, 1841—January 21, 1918), was an ethnic Romanian

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church. Born to an old noble family in

Ieud Ieud (, or ''Jood'') is a commune in Maramureș County, Maramureș, Romania. The commune is situated in the central part of Maramureș County, on the banks of the Ieudișor, a tributary of the Iza River. It is composed of a single village, Ieud ...

Maramureș County Maramureș County () is a county (județ) in Romania, in the Maramureș region. The county seat is Baia Mare. Name In Hungarian language, Hungarian it is known as ''Máramaros megye'', in Ukrainian language, Ukrainian as Мараморо́щ ...

,Personalităţi
at the Ieud Town Hall site; accessed May 16, 2012 he attended a Piarist primary school in Sighetu Marmaţiei and high school 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 ...

Trnava Trnava (, , ; , also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, to the northeast of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of the Trnava Region and the Trnava District. It is the seat o ...

and

Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...

. After graduating in 1857, he was sent to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

by his father, encouraged by Bishop Ioan Alexi. He studied at the

Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (CEP; ) was a congregation (Roman Curia), congregation of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church in Rome, responsible for Catholic missions, missionary work and related activities. It is also kn ...

, obtaining a doctorate in theology in 1863 and being ordained priest later that year. He returned to

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

and in 1864 was first named dean of students and later professor of church history and canon law at the seminary in

Gherla Gherla (; ; ) is a municipality in Cluj County, Romania (in the historical region of Transylvania). It is located from Cluj-Napoca on the river Someșul Mic, and has a population of 19,873 as of 2021. Three villages are administered by the city: ...

. After Gherla Bishop Ioan Vancea was elected Metropolitan of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia, he took Mihali with him to

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 ('' ...

as his secretary. In 1869-1870, Mihali accompanied Vancea to the

First Vatican Council The First Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the First Vatican Council or Vatican I, was the 20th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, held three centuries after the preceding Council of Trent which was adjourned in 156 ...

.Episcopul Victor Mihali
at the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic site; accessed May 16, 2012 In late 1874, Mihali was named Bishop of Lugoj, Ioan Olteanu having been transferred to Oradea. He was consecrated at Blaj the following February, and spent twenty years in Lugoj. He visited 110 parishes and held two diocesan synods (in 1882 and 1883). During his reign, many churches, schools and parish houses were built or renovated; other structures were bought and adapted for religious uses. In 1893 he led the first Romanian pilgrimage to Rome. Vancea died in 1892, and Mihali succeeded him three years later. As head of the church, he held a number of synods as well as a council in 1900 to mark the 200th anniversary of the union with Rome. He opposed

Magyarization Magyarization ( , also Hungarianization; ), after "Magyar"—the Hungarian autonym—was an assimilation or acculturation process by which non-Hungarian nationals living in the Kingdom of Hungary, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, adop ...

policies in education and the 1912 establishment of the Hajdúdorog Diocese. He led the December 1917 liturgy at which

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 ...

was consecrated Bishop of Gherla and died the following month. Mihali was made an honorary member of the Romanian Academy in 1894.

Notes

1841 births 1918 deaths People from Maramureș County Romanian Austro-Hungarians Primates of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church Honorary members of the Romanian Academy 19th-century Eastern Catholic bishops 20th-century Eastern Catholic archbishops 20th-century Romanian people 19th-century Romanian clergy Eastern Catholic bishops in Romania {{RomanianGreekCatholic-bishop-stub