View source for Romanian Catholic Eparchy of Oradea Mare

{{Short description|Greek Catholic eparchy in Romania}}
{{One source|date=August 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox diocese
| jurisdiction      = Eparchy 
| name              = Oradea Mare (Gran Varadino)
| latin             = Dioecesis Magnovaradinensis Romenorum
| local             = Episcopia de Oradea Mare
| image             = Sf Nicolae Oradea.JPG
| image_size        = 250px
| image_alt         = 
| caption           = The Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in [[Oradea]]
<!---- Locations ---->
| country           = [[Romania]]
| territory         = 
| province          = Făgăraş and Alba Iulia
| metropolitan      = [[Romanian Greek Catholic Major Archeparchy of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia|Major Archeparchy of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia]]
| archdeaconries    = 
| deaneries         = 
| subdivisions      = 
| coordinates       = <!-- Use {{coord}} -->
<!---- Statistics ---->
| area_km2          = <!-- Area in square kilometers, automatically converted -->
| area_sqmi         = <!-- Area in square miles, automatically converted -->
| area_footnotes    = 
| population        = 
| population_as_of  = 2013
| catholics         = 87,000
| catholics_percent = 
| parishes          = <!-- Number of parishes in the diocese -->
| churches          = <!-- Number of churches in the diocese -->
| congregations     = <!-- Number of congregations in the diocese -->
| schools           = <!-- Number of church supported schools in the diocese -->
| members           = <!-- Number of members in the diocese -->
<!---- Information ---->
| sui_iuris_church  = [[Romanian Greek Catholic Church]]
| rite              = [[Byzantine Rite|Byzantine]]
| established       = 23 June 1777
| cathedral         = Cathedral of St Nicholas, [[Oradea]]
| cocathedral       = 
| patron            = <!-- Patron saint(s) of the diocese (or archdiocese) -->
| patron_title      = <!-- Use to override the default label "Patron saint" -->
| priests           = <!-- Number of priests in the diocese -->
<!---- Current leadership ---->
| pope              = {{Incumbent pope}} <!-- DO NOT CHANGE. This will update the Popes Automatically as they change -->
| patriarch         = 
| major_archbishop  = [[Lucian Mureșan]]
| bishop            = [[Virgil Bercea]]
| bishop_title      = Bishop
| metro_archbishop  = <!-- Name of the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province -->
| coadjutor         = 
| suffragans        = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of consecration); use | suffragan = for one -->
| auxiliary_bishops = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of consecration) -->
| apostolic_admin   = 
| vicar_general     = 
| episcopal_vicar   =
| archdeacons       = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of first collation); use | archdeacon = for one-->
| emeritus_bishops  = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of consecration) -->
<!---- Map ---->
| map               = Romanian Greek-Catholic (Uniate) Church map.svg
| map_size          = 250px
| map_alt           = 
| map_caption       = Church administrative divisions
<!---- Website ---->
| website           = [http://www.egco.ro/index_ro.php Website]
| footnotes         = 
}}

'''The Romanian Catholic Eparchy of Oradea Mare''' is an [[eparchy]] (equivalent to a [[diocese]] in the [[Latin Church]]) of the [[Romanian Greek Catholic Church]] which is an [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic]] [[Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites|particular church]] of the [[Catholic Church]] that is in [[Full communion#Catholic Church|full communion]] with the [[Holy See]]. Its uses the [[Byzantine Rite]] in the [[Romanian language]] in its liturgical services. It was founded in 1777. It is a [[suffragan diocese]] of the [[Romanian Greek Catholic Major Archeparchy of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia|Major Archeparchy of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia]].<ref>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dburo.html ''Catholic Hierarchy'' page]</ref> The eparchy's [[cathedral|cathedral church]] is the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas which is situated in the city of [[Oradea]], [[Romania]]. The [[incumbent]] eparch is [[Virgil Bercea]].

==History==
When 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.<ref name="DO">{{cite web |url=http://www.egco.ro/history_ro.php |title=Istoric |work=Episcopia Greco-Catolică Oradea |accessdate=7 April 2011}}</ref> The see is divided into six archidiaconates and 19 vice-archidiaconates.

==List of Eparchs==
The list of the [[eparch]] (bishops) of the Greek Catholic Diocese of Oradea Mare is:<ref name="DO"/>
* [[Meletie Covaci]] (born 1707, converted to the Greek Catholic Church in 1736, reigned 1748&ndash;1775 as auxiliary bishop of the Latin bishop of Oradea)
* [[Moise Dragoș]] (born 1725, reigned 1775&ndash;1787, under his reign in 1777 the diocese became independent from the Latin bishop]
* [[Ignațiu Darabant]] (born 1730, reigned 1788&ndash;1805)
* [[Samuil Vulcan]] (born 1758, reigned 1806&ndash;1839)
* [[Vasile Erdeli]] (born 1794, reigned 1842&ndash;1862)
* [[Iosif Papp-Szilágyi]] (Sălăjeanul) (born 1813, reigned 1863&ndash;1873)
* [[Ioan Olteanu]] (born 1839, reigned 1873&ndash;1877)
* [[Mihail Pavel]] (born 1827, reigned 1879&ndash;1902)
* [[Demetriu Radu]] (born 1861, reigned 1903&ndash;1920)
* [[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 spent many years in prison. Died in 1978)
** 1978&ndash;1990 vacant due to the persecution under the Communist Regime, until the [[Romanian Revolution of 1989]]
* [[Vasile Hossu (bishop of Oradea)|Vasile Hossu]] (born 1919, reigned 1990&ndash;1997)
* [[Virgil Bercea]] (born 1957, reigned 1997&ndash;incumbent)

==See also == 
*[[Alexander Ratiu]] (a priest of the eparchy)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{in lang|ro}} [http://www.egco.ro/ Official site]
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dorma.html catholic-hierarchy.org]

{{Hierarchy of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church by eparchy}}
{{Romanian Catholic Church Hierarchy}}
{{RCCDiocesesRo}}

{{coord missing|Bihor County}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Oradea]]
[[Category:Eastern Catholic dioceses in Romania|Oradea]]
[[Category:Romanian Greek Catholic Church dioceses]]
[[Category:Religious organizations established in 1777]]
[[Category:Dioceses established in the 18th century]]