Romanian Catholic Diocese of Maramureș

Diocese of Maramureş Dioecesis Maramuresensis Eparhia de Maramureș
Diocesan Cathedral of the Assumption (de jure)
Location
Country	Romania
Ecclesiastical province	Făgăraş and Alba Iulia
Metropolitan	Făgăraş and Alba Iulia
Population - Catholics (including non-members)	(as of 2013) 53,250
Information
Denomination	Romanian Greek Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Romanian Greek Catholic Church
Rite	Byzantine Rite
Established	5 June 1930
Cathedral	Cathedral of the Assumption in Baia Mare
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Major Archbishop	Lucian Mureșan
Bishop	Vasile Bizău
Map
Church administrative divisions
Website
Website

The Greek Catholic Eparchy of Maramureș was founded as a consequence of the Concordate between the Holy See and The Romanian State concluded on May 10, 1927 and ratified on June 10, 1929.^[1]

Description[]

With the Bull Sollemni Conventione of June 5, 1930, Catholic Hierarchy of both rites was established all over the territory of the Romanian Kingdom; it was then that the creation of a new diocese, of Maramureș was decided. Its centre was to be at Baia Mare and it was suffragan of the Metropolitanate of Alba Iulia and Făgăraș.

The Diocese of Maramureș included 201 Romanian parishes and all the 38 Ruthene parishes existing on Romanian territory. It was laid under the temporary administration of Dr. Iuliu Hossu, the bishop of Cluj-Gherla.

The first Bishop of this Diocese, appointed by the Holy See on October 16, 1930, with the approval of the Romanian Government, was Dr. Alexandru Rusu, consecrated on January 30, 1931 and enthroned in his cathedral on February 2, 1931. He led the diocese until 1948, when he was arrested; he died in prison in May 1963.

In 1948, with the Decree nr. 358 of December 1, the whole Romanian Church united with Rome was declared illegal.

The second bishop of the diocese, who acted as apostolic administrator, was Dr. Ioan Dragomir, consecrated in clandestinity on March 6, 1949, at the nunciature in Bucharest. He was arrested in 1951 and remained in prison until the amnesty of 1964. After that date, he worked in clandestinity. He died on April 25, 1985.

On August 9, 1986, at the diocesan chapter, attended also by Metropolite Alexandru Todea, Fr. Lucian Mureșan was elected Ordinarius of the Diocese of Maramureș.

On May 27, 1990, he was consecrated bishop at Baia Mare. Eventually he was appointed Metropolite of the Romanian Church United with Rome. The Diocese of Maramureș was then led by Fr. Ioan Șișeștean, appointed bishop on June 20, 1994, and consecrated on September 11, 1994.

See also[]

• Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic

Notes[]

Coordinates: 47°38′59″N 23°34′17″E / 47.6498°N 23.5713°E / 47.6498; 23.5713