Romania

• Population: 19,120,000 (World Bank, 2021)
• Official language: Romanian
• Form of government: semi-presidential republic (current president: Klaus Iohannis)

Christianity is the predominant religion in Romania. The Romanian Orthodox Church, which represents the vast majority, accounts for 81% of Romanians. It is followed by the Protestant churches, which account for 6% of the population. The Catholic Church, for its part, accounts for 5% of the population, with 4% belonging to the Latin Rite and 1% to the Greek Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite. The Catholic presence in Romania is concentrated primarily in Transylvania. Muslim and Jewish minorities are also present in the country.

The head of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church is His Beatitude Lucian Mureșan, Major Archbishop of Alba Iulia and Făgăraș. He was created a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

During the communist era, the Romanian Greek Catholic Church was banned by the government, and the Christian denominations that were tolerated were placed under the regime’s control. With the fall of communism and the democratization of Romania, the Greek Catholic Church was once again authorized. It was granted restitution of some of the property that had been confiscated by the communist regime.

In Romania, state-recognized religions receive funding from a public fund that pays the salaries of clergy.

Since the fall of the Romanian communist regime, many Greek Catholic churches have been built. L'Œuvre d'Orient supports these construction and reconstruction projects, as well as the expansion of existing churches.

It also supports numerous schools and shelters for underprivileged youth.

To learn more about the Romanian Greek Catholic Church: