Press Release from the Romanian Greek-Catholic Major Archiepiscopal Curia
At Saint Peter's and in the Sistine Chapel, the living memory of Cardinal Iuliu Hossu
with Pope Leo XIV, a tribute to the power of faith and to hard-working charity
In the context of the Year dedicated to Blessed Cardinal Iuliu Hossu, established by the Parliament of Romania with Law no. 290/2023, a series of events will take place in the Vatican, between 1-2 June 2025, with the aim of highlighting the figure of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Cardinal and his commitment to his neighbour, with particular attention to the help offered to the Jews of Transylvania during the Holocaust.
On Sunday 1 June 2025, at 14.00, at the Altar of the Cathedra of Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, a solemn Divine Liturgy was celebrated in Romanian, organized by the archeparchy of Făgăraş şi Alba Iulia and by the eparchy of Cluj-Gherla.
This solemn celebration paid homage to the memory of Blessed Cardinal Iulio Hossu, bishop of the eparchy of Gherla from 1917, witness to the faith during the communist regime and a prophetic voice of human dignity. On 4 April 1969, Pope Paul VI created him cardinal in pectore, an appointment made public only in 1973, after the Romanian prelate’s death in forced confinement. After the fall of the communist regime, he was beatified in 2019 along with six other Greek Catholic bishops, recognized as martyred in odium fidei.
The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom on 1 June 2025, presided over by Bishop Claudiu Lucian Pop, eparchal bishop of Cluj-Gherla, in the presence of Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, was concelebrated by Archbishop Giampiero Gloder, apostolic nuncio in Romania and in the Republic of Moldova, and by various bishops from Romania.
The celebration was organized in proximity to the date of 2 June, six years after the beatification of the six Romanian Greek-Catholic martyr bishops, including Cardinal Iuliu Hossu, beatified by Pope Francis on 2 June 2019, on the Field of Liberty in Blaj, Romania.
Today, Monday 2 June 2025, at 17.00 in the Sistine Chapel, a celebration of profound spiritual significance will be held: a homage to the memory of Blessed Iuliu Hossu, with the participation of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and eminent representatives of ecclesial, social and political institutions. It will provide a solemn backdrop to the shining witness of a man of God who was able to join the steadfastness of faith with active love towards every human being.
During the celebration, particular emphasis will be given to the Greek-Catholic cardinal’s work in protecting Jewish brothers during the dark years of persecution in Transylvania. In this evangelical gesture of solidarity, which has inspired the initiation of the procedure for his recognition as “Righteous among the Nations”, the very essence of his pastoral vocation is made manifest: defending human dignity regardless of any barrier. His legacy continues to inspire the defence of human dignity and the fight against antisemitism.
The event programme includes an address from His Excellency the Honourable Silviu Vexler, president of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Romania, and His Beatitude Cardinal Lucian Mureșan, major archbishop of the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania.
The central event of the evening will be an address from the Holy Father Leo XIV, followed by some musical interludes and the reading of several passages from the memoirs of Cardinal Hossu, highlighting the strength of forgiveness and his inner freedom, showing that despite his imprisonment, he was able to remain free in faith.
The two events organized in Rome are not simply commemorations, but rather true acts of living memorial, under the banner of hope. In an age in which dialogue and fraternity would appear more necessary than ever, the figure of Cardinal Hossu, and his friendship and human closeness shown to the Jewish comunity in those dramatic years, continue to speak to consciences, inviting every man and woman to follow the way of faith, truth and love without boundaries.
