Ioan Suciu

Ioan Suciu (born December 4, 1907 in Blaj , Transylvania , † June 27, 1953 in Sighet , Romania ) was Romanian Greek Catholic auxiliary bishop in Oradea Mare - (Greater Oradine) and Apostolic Administrator of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia .

Life

Ioan Suciu came from a priestly family and attended elementary school and high school in Blaj. His classmate at the high school was Titu Liviu Chinezu, with whom he had a lifelong friendship. They graduated from high school together and decided to become a priest. In 1925 both were sent to the Pontifical Greek College of St. Athanasius to study theology, followed by studies at the Pontifical Urban University . He received his doctorate in theology; November 29, 1931 he was in Rome for priests ordained. Back in Blaj he became a professor at the Theological Academy.

The brilliant speaker was appointed auxiliary bishop in Oradea Mare - (Greater Oradine) on May 25, 1940 and at the same time titular bishop of Moglaena . It was consecrated on July 22, 1940 by Valeriu Traian Frențiu , the bishop of Oradea Mare (Oradea) , co- consecrators were Iuliu Hossu , the bishop of Cluj-Gherla and Ioan Bălan , the bishop of Lugoj . In 1946 he became apostolic administrator of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia.

On October 28, 1948, he was arrested and interned in the Dragoslavele camp. In February 1949, he was given solitary confinement in the Căldăruşani monastery , together with the diocesan bishops of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church, who were also arrested . There he was on December 3, 1949 co-consecrator at the episcopal ordination of his friend Titu Liviu Chinezu.

In October 1950 he was taken to the notorious Sighet prison with the other bishops . There he died in solitary confinement, stomach sick and weak from hunger and cold on June 27, 1953. He was buried that night without a coffin in a mass grave in the cemetery of the poor.

Beatification process

The beatification process was initiated for Ioan Suciu . In the course of this, on March 19, 2019 , Pope Francis recognized the martyrdom of Sucius and six other bishops who had perished in the communist persecution of the Church as a prerequisite for beatification. The Pope himself beatified him on June 2, 2019 in Blaj .

literature

• Biography of the canonization of the bishops Valeriu Traian Frențiu , Iuliu Hossu , Alexandru Rusu , Ioan Bălan , Ioan Suciu, Titu Liviu Chinezu and Vasile Aftenie
• Adrian Podar, Episcop Ioan Suciu , Editura Galaxia Gutenberg 2012 ISBN 978-973-141-460-7

Web links

• Ioan Suciu on the homepage of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church (Romanian)
• detailed biography (Romanian)
• Entry on Ioan Suciu on catholic-hierarchy.org
• Viaggio Apostolico di Papa Francesco in Romania (31 maggio - 2 giugno 2019) - Divina Liturgia con la Beatificazione di 7 Vescovi Martiri Greco-Cattolici nel Campo della Libertà di Blaj e Recita del Regina Coeli. Press Office of the Holy See , June 2, 2019, accessed on June 3, 2019 (sermon of Pope Francis at the beatification with German translation). 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Le Petit Episcopologe, Issue 121.
2. ^ Le Petit Episcopologe, Issue 155, Additions / Corrections.
3. ^ Revue des Ordinations Épiscopales, Issue 1940, Number 42.
4. ↑ Silvestru Augustin Prunduş and Clemente Plăianu, Catholicism and Orthodoxy Romanian. Brief history of the Romanian United Church , Christian Life Publishing House, Cluj 1994.
5. ↑ Silvestru Augustin Prunduş and Clemente Plăianu, the 12 martyrs bishops , publishing "The Christian Life", Cluj 1998th
6. ^ Promulgazione di Decreti della Congregazione delle Cause dei Santi. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office, March 19, 2019, accessed March 19, 2019 (Italian). 
7. ↑ Pope beatifies martyr bishops of the communist era. Vatican News , June 2, 2019, accessed June 2, 2019 .