Aree Il Cardinale Iuliu Hossu: simbolo dell’unità nazionale, della fede cattolica, della riconciliazione e della solidarietà: Riferimenti storiografici
Cardinal Iuliu Hossu: Symbol of National Unity, Catholic Faith, Reconciliation, and Solidarity: Historiographical Perspectives

Summary/Abstract: His Eminence, Iuliu Hossu (1885-1970), the first Romanian cardinal and one of the most outstanding figures of both the Romanian Greek Catholic Church and the Romanian nation, has endured in the collective memory as a figure of profound symbolic resonance. His unwavering defence of the rights of Transylvanian Romanians and his historic proclamation of the Great Union Resolution at Alba Iulia on 1 December 1918 secured his legacy as a symbol of national unity. Scholarly inquiries into his pastoral endeavours and extensive canonical visitations have firmly established him in the consciousness of the clergy and the Greek Catholic faithful as a model shepherd and an authentic embodiment of Jesus Christ. His ecumenical openness, particularly during the interwar years and, more notably, between 1940 and 1944, cast him as a paragon of dialogue and solidarity—an influence that transcended the confines of his own confession and assumes renewed significance today through the ongoing process of his recognition as Righteous Among the Nations. These symbolic dimensions of Cardinal Iuliu Hossu—resonant and consequential within the Greek Catholic Church, Romanian history, and the international sphere—are further augmented by the symbolism of martyrdom. On 2 June 2019, His Holiness Pope Francis beatified him, together with six other Romanian Greek Catholic bishops, all of whom endured persecution and ultimately perished for their Catholic faith under the communist regime. This article seeks to illuminate the figure of Cardinal Iuliu Hossu through an exploration of the formation of his symbolic legacy, drawing upon historiographical scholarship and published documentary sources. In so doing, it shall consider the ways in which this distinguished prelate, through his life, vision, and actions—culminating in martyrdom—transcended his status as a historical figure of significance within the Church and the nation, emerging instead as a symbol of considerable complexity, whose legacy continues to serve as a source of inspiration for present and future generations.

• Details
• Contents