Demetriu Radu

<h2 id="origins-and-studies">Origins and studies</h2>
<p>Demetriu Radu was born of peasant parents in Tâmpăhaza (present-day <a href="/facts/R%C4%83de%C8%99ti,_Alba/ven4Vuyy">Rădești</a>, <a href="/facts/Alba_County/1p0FHIkI">Alba County</a>, then in <a href="/facts/Als%C3%B3-Feh%C3%A9r_County/1gkSWrwR">Alsó-Fehér County</a>),  south of <a href="/facts/Aiud/05FsfVTX">Aiud</a>.
</p><p>He was educated by <a href="/facts/Franciscans/gwohhd4C">Franciscans</a> in Aiud and in high school in <a href="/facts/Blaj/TxgVofbo">Blaj</a>. In 1879 Radu was sent to Rome to study at St. Athanasius Institute and the College of Propaganda Fide. In <a href="/facts/Rome/bh1Ttx3T">Rome</a> he studied for six years, at the end of which he obtained his <a href="/facts/Doctor_of_Philosophy/paJumdN8">Ph.D.</a> in theology.
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<h2 id="the-greek-catholic-clergy">The Greek Catholic clergy</h2>
<p>In 1885 Radu was ordained priest in Rome. After ordination, Radu went to <a href="/facts/Bucharest/4xQnsGwM">Bucharest</a> as a parish priest of the <a href="/facts/Romanian_Church_United_with_Rome,_Greek_Catholic/q3G6tsoQ">Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek Catholic</a>. In Bucharest he was appointed by the Archbishop Paul Joseph Palma professor of the Theological Seminary, then director of the Archdiocesan Seminary in Bucharest, which had been recently created, and general economic.
</p><p>On two occasions, being known and appreciated by the ruling circles of the <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Romania/CwhVjbwD">Kingdom of Romania</a>, Radu was sent by the then <a href="/facts/Prime_Minister_of_Romania/YmBrxfsJ">Prime Minister</a> <a href="/facts/Ion_C._Br%C4%83tianu/7Y9xf0TH">Ion C. Brătianu</a> and <a href="/facts/King_of_Romania/PRtkuuxd">King</a> <a href="/facts/Carol_I_of_Romania/AmAseCTw">Carol I of Romania</a>, to the <a href="/facts/Vatican_City/JTKnEt6J">Vatican</a> in order to build bridges to resolve divergences that had arisen between the Kingdom of Romania and the <a href="/facts/Holy_See/7tK8AceC">Holy See</a>.
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<h2 id="greek-catholic-bishop-of-lugoj-18971903">Greek Catholic Bishop of Lugoj (1897–1903)</h2>

<p>On May 9, 1897 Radu was consecrated bishop by Archbishop <a href="/facts/Victor_Mihaly_de_Ap%C8%99a/5o3WuIaT">Victor Mihaly de Apșa</a> of the <a href="/facts/Holy_Trinity_Cathedral,_Blaj/YCPWnJFF">Holy Trinity Cathedral, Blaj</a>. During the period from 1897 to 1903, Demetriu Radu was <a href="/facts/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Lugo/dNGo99Px">Bishop of Lugoj</a>, where he had a special concern for students.
</p><p>In 1901 Radu ordered and supported the restoration of the Prislop Monastery in current <a href="/facts/Hunedoara_County/fIMFElMP">Hunedoara County</a>, which became a place of pilgrimage for the faithful.
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<h2 id="greek-catholic-bishop-of-oradea-mare-19031920">Greek Catholic Bishop of Oradea Mare (1903–1920)</h2>
<p>Radu rebuilt in 1905 the bishop's palace in <a href="/facts/Oradea/0xprYhuB">Oradea</a>; the designs were produced by architect C. Rimanoczy Jr., has recovered ranges from <a href="/facts/Beiu%C8%99/sHhQrv3K">Beiuș</a> house from <a href="/facts/Holod,_Bihor/HlW4QgW1">Holod</a> and established residence at <a href="/facts/Budureasa/KYC8kVq7">Stâna de Vale</a>. With a significant amount of money (100,000 <a href="/facts/Austro-Hungarian_krone/9hWN6Hy8">Austro-Hungarian krone</a>), Radu helped build the <a href="/facts/Saint_Basil_the_Great_Cathedral,_Bucharest/cHkhCu3o">Saint Basil the Great Cathedral, Bucharest</a> in 1909, while in 1910 Radu built the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, in his native village, Rădești.
</p><p>In 1912 Radu traveled to Rome to discuss the <a href="/facts/Papal_bull/rddm96cW">Papal bull</a> concerning the establishment of the Hungarian Greek Catholic diocese of <a href="/facts/Hajd%C3%BAdorog/4RL956K0">Hajdúdorog</a>. In 1914 Radu began the construction of the Theological Academy of <a href="/facts/Oradea/0xprYhuB">Oradea</a>, but war broke out in that year prevented him to desist of this plane. Radu refused to become spokesman for the Hungarian Prime Minister <a href="/facts/Istv%C3%A1n_Tisza/dLveu5PU">István Tisza</a> in relation to his nation, unlike the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of <a href="/facts/Sibiu/qwl3pUnC">Sibiu</a>, Basil Mangra, who supported the Austro-Hungarian authorities of the time.
</p><p>Radu chaired with Ioan Papp, Orthodox Bishop of Arad and <a href="/facts/Gheorghe_Pop_de_B%C4%83se%C8%99ti/pmrnaXyN">Gheorghe Pop de Băsești</a> in the <a href="/facts/Great_National_Assembly_of_Alba_Iulia/0wWCwcz0">Grand National Assembly</a> in <a href="/facts/Alba_Iulia/lFoFHFc5">Alba Iulia</a> on December 1, 1918. As dean of the Romanian Episcopate in the <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Romania/CwhVjbwD">Kingdom of Romania</a>, he embraced Romanian General Nicolescu, who became the head of the <a href="/facts/Romanian_Armed_Forces/r9NDemDR">Romanian Armed Forces</a> in Blaj. On 23 May 1919, Radu was hosted at the Episcopal Palace in Oradea by King <a href="/facts/Ferdinand_I_of_Romania/pfg0wyqQ">Ferdinand I of Romania</a> and Queen <a href="/facts/Marie_of_Romania/VVaLVKHM">Marie of Romania</a>.
</p><p>On 1 January 1920 Radu participated in the consecration of Archbishop Metropolitan <a href="/facts/Vasile_Suciu_(bishop)/feY8hsv0">Vasile Suciu</a> with the archepiscopal <a href="/facts/Pallium/REa9ar76">Pallium</a>.
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<h2 id="end-of-life">End of life</h2>

<p>Radu died on 8 December 1920 in the bombing of the <a href="/facts/Senate_of_Romania/3x3GKDNt">Senate of Romania</a>, an attack staged by <a href="/facts/Max_Goldstein/Y0Dplj6M">Max Goldstein</a> and his associates, Osias Saul and <a href="/facts/Leon_Lichtblau/qTdxHoeJ">Leon Lichtblau</a>. Following the attack, Justice Minister Dimitrie Greceanu [ro] and Senator Spirea Gheorghiu also died.
</p><p>Radu had a "national funeral as a national martyr".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> He was buried in the church he founded in his native town.
</p>
<h2 id="legacy">Legacy</h2>
<p>In the 1920s, Radu's native town Tâmpăhaza was named Rădești, in memory and honor of Bishop Demetriu Radu.
</p>

<h2 id="bibliography">Bibliography</h2>
<ul><li>Ioan M. Bota, History of the Universal Church and Romanian origins until today our appliances, Publishing House "The Christian Life", Cluj-Napoca, 1994, p. 288-289.</li>
<li>Encyclopedic Dictionary, vol. VI, R-S, Encyclopedic Publishing House, 2006.</li></ul>
<h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2>
<ul><li>Bishop Demetriu Radu: the bishop of the Diocese of Oradea, 1903 - 1920, assassinated in Senate; martyr's life and work, Vasile Marcu, Eikon Publishing House, 2005.</li></ul>
<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.egco.ro/istoric/">"Istoric: Demetrie Radu"</a>. <i>www.egco.ro</i> (in Romanian). <a href="/facts/Romanian_Catholic_Eparchy_of_Oradea_Mare/IMbJoTv0">Romanian Catholic Eparchy of Oradea Mare</a>. March 18, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2021.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.bru.ro/blaj/biserica-greco-catolica-din-radesti-s-a-reintors-acasa/">"Biserica greco-catolică din Rădești s-a reîntors acasă"</a>. <i>www.bru.ro</i> (in Romanian). April 14, 2014. Retrieved March 23, 2021.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bradu.html">"Bishop Demetriu Radu"</a>. <i>www.catholic-hierarchy.org</i>. November 18, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2021.</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

Demetriu Radu open-in-new

Demetriu Radu