Romanian Catholic Eparchy of Oradea Mare

The Greek Catholic diocese of Oradea Mare is the Eparchy of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church for the area of Oradea.

Diocese of Oradea Mare (Gran Varadino)

Dioecesis Magnovaradinensis Romenorum

Episcopia de Oradea Mare
The Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Oradea
Location
CountryRomania
Ecclesiastical provinceFăgăraş and Alba Iulia
MetropolitanGreek Catholic Archdiocese of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia
Population
- Catholics (including non-members)
(as of 2013)
87,000
Information
DenominationRomanian Greek Catholic Church
Sui iuris churchRomanian Greek Catholic Church
RiteByzantine Rite
Established23 June 1777
CathedralCathedral of St Nicholas, Oradea
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Major ArchbishopLucian Mureșan
BishopVirgil Bercea
Map

Church administrative divisions
Website
Website

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 (Gran); when, however, in 1853 the Greek Catholic Diocese of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia became the Archdiocese of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia, the diocese of Oradea Mare was transferred to its jurisdiction.[1] The see is divided into six archidiaconates and 19 vice-archidiaconates.

Bishops

The list of the eparch (bishops) of the Greek Catholic Diocese of Oradea Mare is:[1]

  • Meletie Covaci (born 1707, converted to the Greek Catholic Church in 1736, reigned 17481775 as auxiliary bishop of the Latin bishop of Oradea)
  • Moise Dragoș (born 1725, reigned 17751787, under his reign in 1777 the diocese became independent from the Latin bishop]
  • Ignațiu Darabant (born 1730, reigned 17881805)
  • Samuil Vulcan (born 1758, reigned 18061839)
  • Vasile Erdeli (born 1794, reigned 18421862)
  • Iosif Papp-Szilágyi (Sălăjeanul) (born 1813, reigned 18631873)
  • Ioan Olteanu (born 1839, reigned 18731877)
  • Mihail Pavel (born 1827, reigned 18791902)
  • Demetriu Radu (born 1861, reigned 19031920)
  • Valeriu Traian Frențiu (born 1875, reign started in 1922. In 1948 the Communist Romania abolished the Greek Catholic Church. Frențiu was persecuted and died in prison in 1952)
  • Iuliu Hirțea (born 1914, he was the clandestine bishop of Oradea from 1952. He passed many years in prison. Died in 1978)
  • Vasile Hossu (born 1919, reigned 19901997)
  • Virgil Bercea (born 1957, reigned 1997incumbent)

Famous priests

References

  1. "Istoric". Episcopia Greco-Catolică Oradea. Retrieved 7 April 2011.

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