Demetriu Radu was between 1897 and 1903 the Greek Catholic bishop of Lugoj, and during 1903 to 1920 the Greek Catholic Bishop of Oradea Mare.
Origins and studies
Demetriu Radu was born of peasant parents in Tâmpăhaza, which was part of then Alsó-Fehér County south of Aiud. Radu 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.
In 1885 Radu 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 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 Radu ordered and supported the restoration of the Prislop Monastery in current Hunedoara County, which became a place of pilgrimage for the faithful.
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, Radu helped build the Saint Basil the Great Cathedral, Bucharest in 1909. In 1910 Radu built the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, in his native village, Rădeşti. In 1912 Radu traveled to Rome to discuss the 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. Radu refused to become spokesman of the Hungarian Prime MinisterIstván Tisza in relation to his nation, unlike Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Sibiu, Basil Mangra, who supported the Austro-Hungarian authorities of the time. Radu chaired with Ioan Papp, Orthodox bishop of Arad and Gheorghe Pop de Băsești 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
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. Radu had a "national funeral as a national martyr". He was buried in the church he founded in his native town.
