Iuliu Hirțea

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Iuliu Hirțea (born April 13, 1914 in Vintere , Bihar County , Austria-Hungary ; † June 28, 1978 in Oradea ( German  Großwardein ), Romania ) was auxiliary bishop in Oradea Mare (Großwardein) of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church .

Life

Iuliu Hirțea came from a farming family. He attended elementary school in his hometown and then the high school in Beiuș . In autumn 1931 he attended the Greek Catholic Theological Academy in Oradea. Bishop Valeriu Traian Frențiu sent him in 1935 for theological studies at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome . He completed his studies on June 7, 1940 with the dissertation The Doctrine of Scripture et Textus biblicus S. Eucherii Lungdunensis . For this he received the award Summa cum laude . He was an alumnus of the Pontifical Romanian College Pio Romeno and was ordained a priest in the chapel there by Bishop Valeriu Traian Frențiu on March 25, 1937 .

During the Second World War he was active in the parish ministry. He began teaching in 1946, criticized the communist government and was arrested in 1947. He was interrogated for 15 months in the cellars of the State Security in Oradea, released from prison in 1949 and, at the request of his bishop, by Pope Pius XII. appointed auxiliary bishop in Oradea Mare and at the same time titular bishop of Nebbi . The episcopal ordination took place on July 28, 1949 in the Nunciature in Bucharest . The consecrator was the official in Romania, Bishop Gerald Patrick Aloysius O'Hara ; Co- consecrators were Ioan Ploscaru , the titular bishop of Trapezopolis , and Ioan Dragomir , the auxiliary bishop in Maramureş . After the death of Bishop Valeriu Traian Frențiu on July 11, 1952, he was appointed administrator of the Oradea Mare diocese. He was arrested again on December 8, 1952, brought back to court on July 6, 1953 after seven months of interrogation and sentenced to twelve years in prison along with other Catholic priests for "illegal representation of the Church" and "high treason for the Vatican". He was released in 1964 in poor health. He was invited to attend the Second Vatican Council , but was refused entry. He stood with Pope Paul VI. in correspondence, assured him that the Romanian Greek Catholic Church was loyal to Rome and asked him not to let up in support for regaining freedom of religion in Romania.

Despite his poor health, he led the diocese mainly from underground. He attended secret meetings, ordained priests, and administered the sacraments.

After two years in bed, he died on June 28, 1978 in Oradea hospital. He was buried according to the Latin rite by the Roman Catholic Vicar General Laszlo Hossu in the cemetery of Oradea with great sympathy from believers. For the diocese jubilee (1777-2007) of the Romanian Greek Catholic Diocese of Oradea on May 13, 2007, his remains were transferred to St. Nicholas Cathedral. With him, the remains of Bishop Vasile Hossu were also transferred to St. Nicholas Cathedral.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Le Petit Episcopologe, Issue 121
  2. ^ Revue des Ordinations Épiscopales, Issue 1949, Number 63
  3. ↑ Silvestru Augustin Prunduş, Clemente Plăianu: Catholicism and Orthodoxy Romanian. Brief history of the Romanian United Church. Christian Life Publishing House, Cluj 1994.
personal data
SURNAME Hirțea, Iuliu
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Romanian priest, auxiliary bishop in Oradea
DATE OF BIRTH April 13, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH Vintere
DATE OF DEATH June 28, 1978
Place of death Oradea