History of Catholicism in Romania

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The earliest contacts of Roman Catholicism in Romania were during Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion, when the Asens' correspondence with the Pope suggested that in addition to a military alliance against the Byzantines, there were talks about the Orthodox Christian Vlachs (Romanians) and Bulgarians conversion to Roman Catholicism. However, as the Byzantines were defeated and Second Bulgarian Empire consolidated, no such conversion was needed.

Roman Catholicism came on the territory of today's Romania after the Hungarians converted to Catholicism in 1001. The Saxons, who arrived in the 13th century in Transylvania, also settled in some Wallachian and Moldavian towns, including Câmpulung, Târgovişte and Curtea de Argeş in Wallachia and Baia (Târgul Moldovei) and Suceava in Moldavia. In southwestern Moldavia, there were also Hungarian colonists, especially in Bacău area.

In early 13th century, the Cumans, who lived in eastern Wallachia and southern Moldavia converted to Catholicism and in 1227, on the valley of the Milcov River a diocese was created for them, keeping the name of "Diocese of the Cumans" until 1523.

A Catholic diocese was founded in Wallachia, at Curtea de Argeş in 1381, while in Moldavia, dioceses were founded at Siret (1371), Baia (1415) and Bacău (1611). Laţcu of Moldavia converted to Catholicism in 1370, but this is thought to be a political move in order to obtain Pope's protection against the Catholic Polish and Hungarians. After he died, Laţcu was buried in an Orthodox church in Rădăuţi and the following rulers of Moldavia were all Orthodox.

1 Greek-Catholicism
2 References
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Greek-Catholicism

Main article: Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic

In 1700 almost all the Romanians of Transylvania, headed by Bishop Atanasie Anghel, entered into full communion with the see of Rome, while keeping their Byzantine liturgical rite.

[edit] References

V. Costăchel, PP Panaitescu, A. Cazacu. (1957) Viaţa feudală în Ţara Românească şi Moldova (secolele XIV–XVI) ("Feudal life in the Romanian and Moldovan Lands (14th–16th centuries)"), Bucureşti, Editura Ştiinţifică