H.B. Cardinal Lucian Mureşan, Major Archbishop of Făgăraş şi Alba Iulia of the Romanians, was born on 23 May 1931 in Ferneziu, Romania. After the Grand National Assembly suppressed the Greek-Catholic Church in Romania, he gave up his studies as he saw no way of pursuing his vocation to the priesthood. 

In 1955, he was one of five chosen exceptionally by the Bishopof Alba Iulia to study at the Latin-Rite Catholic Theological Institute in Alba Iulia. He pursued his studies for the priesthood despite persecution and, after studying in secret, succeeded in earning a licence in theology. With a decree of grace he was ordained a priest on 19 December 1964.

After the revolution in 1989 and the end of the clandestine existence of the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania, on 14 March 1990 he was appointed Eparch of Maramureş and received episcopal ordination on 27 May.

On 4 July 1994, he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia.

On 6 December 2005, when Pope Benedict XVI raised the Metropolitan Church sui iuris of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia to the rank of Major Archdiocese, he was appointed Major Archbishop of the Greek-Catholic Church in Romania.

He was served as president of the Episcopal Conference of Romania (1998-2001; 2004-2007 and 2010-2012).

He is president of the Synod of the Romanian church.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Benedict XVI in the consistory of 18 February 2012, of the Title of Sant’Atanasio (St. Athanasius).

Member of:

• Dicastery for the Oriental Churches.