Demetriu Radu

Origins and studies

Demetriu Radu was born of peasant parents in Tâmpăhaza (present-day Rădești, Alba County), which was part of then Alsó-Fehér County south of Aiud.

He was educated by Franciscans in Aiud and in high school in Blaj. In 1879 Radu was sent to Rome to study at St. Athanasius Institute and the College of Propaganda Fide. In Rome he studied for six years at the end of which he obtained his Ph.D. in theology.

The Greek Catholic clergy

In 1885 he was ordained priest in Rome. After ordination Radu went to Bucharest as a parish priest of the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek Catholic. 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 was recently created, and general economic.

On two occasions, being known and appreciated by the ruling circles of the Kingdom of Romania, Radu was sent by the then Prime Minister Ion C. Brătianu and King Carol I of Romania, to the Vatican in order to build bridges to solutionate divergences arose concerning Kingdom of Romania and Holy See.

Greek Catholic Bishop of Lugoj (1897-1903)

On May 9, 1897 Demetriu Radu was consecrated bishop by Archbishop Victor Mihaly de Apșa of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Blaj. During the period from 1897 to 1903, Demetriu Radu was bishop of Lugoj, where he had a special concern for students.

In 1901 Bishop Demetriu Radu ordered and supported restoration of Prislop Monastery of current Hunedoara County, became a place of pilgrimage for the faithful.

Greek Catholic Bishop of Oradea Mare (1903-1920)

In Oradea, Radu rebuilt in 1905 the bishop's palace, the designs were produced by architect C. Rimanoczy Jr., has recovered ranges from Beiuş house from Holod and established residence at Stana de Vale.

With a significant amount of money (100,000 Austro-Hungarian krone), Bishop Demetriu Radu has helped build the Saint Basil the Great Cathedral, Bucharest in 1909.

In 1910 he built the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, in his native village, Rădeşti.

In 1912 he traveled to Rome to discuss about Papal Bull concerning the establishment of the Hungarian Greek Catholic diocese of Hajdúdorog.

In 1914 Radu began the construction of the Theological Academy of Oradea, but war broke out in that year prevented him to desist of this plane.

He refused to make spokesman of the Hungarian Prime Minister István Tisza in relation to his nation, unlike Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Sibiu, Basil Mangra, who supported the Austro-Hungarian authorities of the time.

He chaired with Ioan Papp, Orthodox bishop of Arad and Gheorghe Pop de Băseşti in the Grand National Assembly in Alba Iulia in December 1, 1918. As dean of the Romanian Episcopate in the Kingdom he embraced Romanian General Nicolescu, became the head of the Romanian Armed Forces in Blaj. On 23 May 1919, he was hosted at the Episcopal Palace in Oradea by King Ferdinand I of Romania and Queen Marie of Romania.

On 1 January 1920 Radu participated in the consecration of Archbishop Metropolitan Vasile Suciu with the archepiscopal Pallium.

End of life

Demetriu Radu died on 8 December 1920 in the bombing of the Romanian Senate, attack staged by Max Goldstein and his associates, Osias Saul and Leon Lichtblau. Following the attack have also died Justice Minister Dimitri Greceanu and Senator Spirea Gheorghiu, both died at the hospital.

Bishop Demetriu Radu had a "national funeral as a national martyr". He was buried in the church he founded in his native town.

Change of name of his native town in his honour

In the 1920s, his native town Tâmpăhaza was named Rădeşti in memory and honor of Bishop Demetriu Radu.