Cardinal Alexandru Todea, Archbishop emeritus of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia (Romania), was born on 5 June 1912 in Teleac, archdiocese of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia.
He was ordained a priest on 25 March 1939 in the Byzantine-Romanian rite. On 4 July 1950 he was elected titular bishop of Cesaropoli and was consecrated in a clandestine ceremony on 19 November 1950. In 1951, he was arrested and spent more than a decade in prison because of his religious activity. In 1964, he was pardoned and since then was very active in the reorganization of the catholic community of his rite.
On 14 March 1990 was promoted to the Metropolitan See of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia.
Cardinal Todea took part in the 1990 VIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (30 September-28 October 1990) on the Formation of Priests in Circumstances of the Present Day. He also served as president of the Bishops’ Conference in Romania (March 1991 - 1994).

On 20 July 1994 he resigned as Archbishop of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by John Paul II in the Consistory of 28 June 1991 of the title of St. Anastasius in Via Tiburtina.

Cardinal Todea died on 22 May 2002.