Petru Pavel Aron
Encyclopedia
Petru Pavel Aron was Bishop of Făgăraş and Primate of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church from 1752 to his death in 1764. He also translated the Biblia Vulgata into Romanian (1760–1761).
in 1709. He studied by the Jesuits in Cluj
and later in Trnava
where he studied philosophy. He continued his studies of theology in the College of the Propaganda, Rome
, where he remained till his doctorate in 1744. While in Rome, he took the monastic vows in the Basilian Order
on 26 May 1742, and on 4 August 1743 he was ordained a priest
.
Returned to Transylvania
, he became the vicar of the bishop of Făgăraş Inocenţiu Micu-Klein
. When in 1744 Micu-Klain, because of his petitions for freedom for all Romanians, was exiled in Rome, in a short time Aron remained as the reference figure in the Church. He actually was appointed Vicar general
of the diocese of Fagaras on 31 August 1745.
On 4 November 1751, following the forced resignation of Micu-Klein, the electoral synod convened and Aron resulted the more voted. Accordingly, on 28 February 1752 the Hasburg monarch
, Empress Maria Theresa, designated him as new bishop and Pope Benedict XIV
confirmed the designation on 6 July 1752. He was consecrated bishop
on 1 Sept 1752 by M. Olsavszky
, the Eparch of Mukachevo
, in the monastery of Máriapócs
.
As bishop, he strongly supported instruction, opening the first primary school in Blaj
, establishing over fifty parish schools, and founding the diocesan printing press
in Blaj. The pastoral activities of Aron were hindered by the disturbance of the Orthodox monk Sofronie
, which took the proportions of a violent riot supported by the Serbians.
He died in Baia Mare
on 9 March 1764.
He also translated in Romanian
the Bible
from the Latin Vulgata version: Biblia Vulgata, Blaj, 1760-1761
Life
Petru Pavel Aron was born BistraBistra, Alba
Bistra is a commune located in Alba County, Romania. It has a population of 5,066. It is composed of 35 villages: Aroneşti, Băleşti, Băleşti-Cătun, Bârleşti, Bistra, Cheleteni, Ciuldeşti, Creţeşti, Dâmbureni, Dealu Muntelui, Durăşti, Găneşti, Gârde, Hodişeşti, Hudriceşti, Lipaia, Lunca Largă,...
in 1709. He studied by the Jesuits in Cluj
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
and later in Trnava
Trnava
Trnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres . It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric . The city has a historic center...
where he studied philosophy. He continued his studies of theology in the College of the Propaganda, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he remained till his doctorate in 1744. While in Rome, he took the monastic vows in the Basilian Order
Order of Saint Basil the Great
The Order of St. Basil the Great also known as the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat is an monastic religious order of the Greek Catholic Churches that is present in many countries and that has its Mother House in Rome. The order received approbation on August 20, 1631...
on 26 May 1742, and on 4 August 1743 he was ordained a priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
.
Returned to Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, he became the vicar of the bishop of Făgăraş Inocenţiu Micu-Klein
Inocentiu Micu-Klein
Iaoan Inocenţiu Micu-Klein was a Bishop of Făgăraş and Primate of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church from 1730 to his resignation in 1751...
. When in 1744 Micu-Klain, because of his petitions for freedom for all Romanians, was exiled in Rome, in a short time Aron remained as the reference figure in the Church. He actually was appointed Vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the diocese of Fagaras on 31 August 1745.
On 4 November 1751, following the forced resignation of Micu-Klein, the electoral synod convened and Aron resulted the more voted. Accordingly, on 28 February 1752 the Hasburg monarch
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
, Empress Maria Theresa, designated him as new bishop and Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV , born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was Pope from 17 August 1740 to 3 May 1758.-Life:...
confirmed the designation on 6 July 1752. He was consecrated bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on 1 Sept 1752 by M. Olsavszky
Manuil Mykhailo Olsavszky
Manuil Mykhailo Olsavszky was the bishop of the Eparchy of Mukacheve from 1743 to his death in 1767.-Life:...
, the Eparch of Mukachevo
Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Mukacheve
The Eparchy of Mukacheve is an eparchy of the Ruthenian Catholic Church, with territory located in the west of Ukraine.The eparchy, like the entire Ruthenian Catholic Church, is in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church...
, in the monastery of Máriapócs
Máriapócs
Máriapócs is a small town in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary. It lies near Nyíregyháza. It is an important place for pilgrimage. It has a gorgeous Greek Catholic church, which houses the Weeping Black Madonna, an enormous and unbelievably...
.
As bishop, he strongly supported instruction, opening the first primary school in Blaj
Blaj
Blaj is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 20,758 inhabitants.The landmark of the city is the fact that it was the principal religious and cultural center of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church in Transylvania....
, establishing over fifty parish schools, and founding the diocesan printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
in Blaj. The pastoral activities of Aron were hindered by the disturbance of the Orthodox monk Sofronie
Sofronie of Cioara
Sofronie of Cioara is a Romanian Orthodox saint. He was an Eastern Orthodox monk who advocated for the freedom of worship of the Romanian population in Transylvania.-Early life:...
, which took the proportions of a violent riot supported by the Serbians.
He died in Baia Mare
Baia Mare
Baia Mare is a municipality in northwestern Romania and the capital of Maramureş County. The city is situated about 600 kilometres from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, 70 kilometres from the border with Hungary and 50 kilometres from the border with Ukraine...
on 9 March 1764.
Works
Petru Pavel Aron was a literate and a writer. His main works are:- Our Holy Father John Damascene (in )
- Philosophic and Theological Works (in )
- Comforting letter about the divine inspiration of the Scriptures (in ), Blaj, 1761;
- Principles and definitions of the Council of Florence (in ), 1762;
- Principles of Christian doctrine (in ), 1764.
He also translated in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
from the Latin Vulgata version: Biblia Vulgata, Blaj, 1760-1761