Virgil Bercea
Encyclopedia
Virgil Bercea is the Bishop
of the Diocese of Oradea Mare
of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church since 1997.
, Mureş County
, Romania
. He studied in his town, and after the military service he attended the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca from 1977 to 1981. He worked as agricultural engineer and researcher till 1990.
Supported by his uncle Archbishop Alexandru Todea
, the clandestine leader of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church under the Communist Romania
, he secretly studied theology, and on 9 December 1982 he was secretly ordained Priest
. After ordination he served in underground as priest in the town of Târgu Mureş. After Romanian Revolution of 1989
he could go to attend a specialization in dogmatic theology in the Pontifical Urbaniana University
, in Rome
, and from 1992 he was appointed general vicar in Blaj
.
On 20 July 1994 he was appointed auxiliary bishop
of Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia and so consecrated bishop by Major Archbishop Lucian Mureşan
on 8 September 1994.
On 6 November 1996 he was appointed coadjutor bishop
of the Greek Catholic Diocese of Oradea Mare
, to which he succeeded on 8 June 1997.
In 2000, Virgil Bercea was awarded the Romanian National Order of "Faithful Service" with the rank of Commander by the President of Romania
. In 2003 he was awarded the academic title of doctor of theology by Pontifical Urbaniana University.
On 7 February 2004 he was granted by the President of Romania of the Order of Cultural Merit in the rank of Commander in the Religious category, "as a token of appreciation for the work of Your Holiness in the field of religion, to ecumenical and civic spirit shown and the contribution you brought it to strengthen interfaith relations." Bishop Bercea sent the following reply: "I want to thank you for this post and at the same time thank the President, but I do not accept this distinction and I will not attend the ceremony. Moreover, this manner of proceeding, that the Presidential Secretariat of State for Religion, I consider it an insult not only to the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek Catholic, but also to the Orthodox Church or any other religion in Romania."
During his reign, the Diocese of Oradea Mare have been returned a number of churches, along with the episcopal palace-residence and the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, which had been confiscated 58 years ago by the communist regime and given to the Romanian Orthodox Church
.
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....
of the Diocese of Oradea Mare
Greek Catholic Diocese of Oradea Mare
The Greek Catholic diocese of Oradea Mare is the Eparchy of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church for the area of Oradea.It was founded in 1777, followers of the Greek Rite having been up to that time under the jurisdiction of the Latin bishop...
of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church since 1997.
Life
Virgil Bercea was born on 9 December 1957 in HabicPetelea
Petelea is a commune in Mureş County, Romania that is composed of two villages: Habic and Petelea. It has a population of 2,780: 61% Romanians, 33% Roma and 6% Hungarians.-References:...
, Mureş County
Mures County
Mureș is a county of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, with the administrative centre in Târgu Mureș.-Geography:The county has a total area of 6,714 km²....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. He studied in his town, and after the military service he attended the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca from 1977 to 1981. He worked as agricultural engineer and researcher till 1990.
Supported by his uncle Archbishop Alexandru Todea
Alexandru Todea
Alexandru Todea was a Romanian Greek-Catholic bishop of the Alba Iulia Diocese and later cardinal. He was also a victim of the communist regime....
, the clandestine leader of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church under the Communist Romania
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
, he secretly studied theology, and on 9 December 1982 he was secretly ordained 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....
. After ordination he served in underground as priest in the town of Târgu Mureş. After Romanian Revolution of 1989
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
he could go to attend a specialization in dogmatic theology in the Pontifical Urbaniana University
Pontifical Urbaniana University
The Pontifical Urbaniana University or Pontifical Urban University is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.-History:...
, in 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...
, and from 1992 he was appointed general vicar 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....
.
On 20 July 1994 he was appointed auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia and so consecrated bishop by Major Archbishop Lucian Mureşan
Lucian Mureşan
Lucian Mureşan is the Major Archbishop of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia and thus head of the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic....
on 8 September 1994.
On 6 November 1996 he was appointed coadjutor bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of the Greek Catholic Diocese of Oradea Mare
Greek Catholic Diocese of Oradea Mare
The Greek Catholic diocese of Oradea Mare is the Eparchy of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church for the area of Oradea.It was founded in 1777, followers of the Greek Rite having been up to that time under the jurisdiction of the Latin bishop...
, to which he succeeded on 8 June 1997.
In 2000, Virgil Bercea was awarded the Romanian National Order of "Faithful Service" with the rank of Commander by the President of Romania
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
. In 2003 he was awarded the academic title of doctor of theology by Pontifical Urbaniana University.
On 7 February 2004 he was granted by the President of Romania of the Order of Cultural Merit in the rank of Commander in the Religious category, "as a token of appreciation for the work of Your Holiness in the field of religion, to ecumenical and civic spirit shown and the contribution you brought it to strengthen interfaith relations." Bishop Bercea sent the following reply: "I want to thank you for this post and at the same time thank the President, but I do not accept this distinction and I will not attend the ceremony. Moreover, this manner of proceeding, that the Presidential Secretariat of State for Religion, I consider it an insult not only to the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek Catholic, but also to the Orthodox Church or any other religion in Romania."
During his reign, the Diocese of Oradea Mare have been returned a number of churches, along with the episcopal palace-residence and the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, which had been confiscated 58 years ago by the communist regime and given to the Romanian Orthodox Church
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
.