Cardinal Iuliu Hossu was „a great patriot”, „a man among men”, „a beacon” of his Church in clandestinity, the president of the Romanian Academy, Ioan-Aurel Pop, emphasized on Wednesday at a commemorative session dedicated to the inauguration of the „Cardinal Iuliu Hossu Year”.
„Iuliu Hossu was a man among men, he fulfilled functions and had duties. We must not forget that he was a senator in the Romanian Parliament, at a time when the highest and most valuable people from a spiritual, moral point of view, creators of value, were members of the Romanian Senate. He was an honorary member of the Romanian Academy and I think that most people know that – he has been recently beatified by His Holiness Pope Francis and is celebrated in the calendar on June 2, together with his six dear confraternity members, who are now declared Blessed,” said Pop, at the opening of the event.
According to the president of the Academy, Iuliu Hossu „was a beacon of his Church in clandestinity and guided his flock towards resistance, patience, hope and forgiveness”.
„He left behind a legacy which will be spoken of here and which will forever inscribe his name in the history of the United Church and in the history of Romanians. Even if all that would remain of Iuliu Hossu’s life would be only the Resolution of Union of Transylvania with Romania, which he registered then, in Caldarusani, in secret, shortly before his death, and even if only this act of his life remained and even if only the conviction that our faith is our life remained, we would still have the highest example of patriotism and human dignity of an exceptional personality, with Romanian and European stature and with a message valid for all of us for centuries to come,” Ioan-Aurel Pop added.
He emphasized that „the Romanian Academy is intent on honoring not only a great hierarch or prelate of the Romanian Church United with Rome, but also a great patriot, who left this extraordinary message of dignity, which we are missing today”.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Romania and Moldova, Monsignor Giampiero Gloder, evoking the figure of Iuliu Hossu, in a beautiful Romanian language, characterized the latter as „a great man of the Church” and, quoting Pope Paul VI, said that Iuliu Hossu „is a gigantic figure”.
„The second visit of Monsignor Giovanni Cheli to the Order to communicate to Pope Paul VI his desire to raise him to the rank of cardinal in recognition of his merits, as a tribute to the Greek-Catholic Church, encouragement for bishops, clergy and faithful and proof that the Holy See does not forget them, but with the condition that he (Iuliu Hossu) leave the country and settle in Rome, once again reflects the moral coherence of the Romanian bishop. Monsignor Hossu strongly affirms that the Church has always been his life and could not abandon it. He was deeply grateful to the Holy Father, but he felt that he did not have to part from his flock. It is touching to read how he shows his devotion to the Pope, but adds ‘I wish he could be convinced that it is not right for me to become a cardinal. I pray continually for him, but I ask him to let me continue my work for my Church’. And he concluded: ‘One day it will be known that the Pope has held me to his bosom and it will be to the glory of the United Church’, asking that his fidelity, obedience and love for the Holy Father be presented. When Pope Paul VI, who created him cardinal in pectore, heard the recording of Bishop Iuliu Hossu’s words, brought by Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, Cardinal Secretary of State, he began to weep with emotion and said: ‘He is a gigantic figure’,” recalled Monsignor Giampiero Gloder.
The Apostolic Nuncio, in rereading the characterization of Pope Paul VI, affirmed that it „emphasizes in his own words the moral stature of this bishop, faithful to the sacred oath of his ordination until his death: „Let my tongue cleave to my throat if I remember thee not, if I prefer not Jerusalem above all”. That Jerusalem, which was his Church United with Rome and his beloved nation,” concluded the Vatican official.
During the commemorative event, the qualities of Cardinal Iuliu Hossu as a pastor of the United Church until death, his strength to resist the communist persecution, his firm stance in defense and rescue, at the risk of his own life, of the Jewish population of occupied Transylvania during the Holocaust, his moral and spiritual breadth were praised by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest, His Eminence Aurel Perca, Secretary of State for Religious Affairs, Ciprian Vasile Olinici, PS Mihai Fratila, bishop of the Greek-Catholic Episcopate of St. Basil the Great of Bucharest, the president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania, Silviu Vexler, academician Mircea Martin, professor emeritus, poet Ana Blandiana, corresponding member of the Romanian Academy, the director general of the National Archives, Cristian Anita, and Prof. Ruxandra Cesereanu.
A message on behalf of President Klaus Iohannis was presented by State Counselor Catalina Galer.
At the end of the event, organized in partnership with the National Archives of Romania and the National Museum of Romanian Literature, Romfilatelia launched the issue „Cardinal Iuliu Hossu Year”, presented by the General Director Cristina Popescu.
Wednesday’s session marked the beginning of the „Cardinal Iuliu Hossu Year” established by Law 290/2023 to celebrate his life, work, personality, martyrdom, his decisive role in the realization of the Great Union and the efforts he made to save Jews during the Holocaust. AGERPRES
