Ioan Inocențiu Micu-Klein, also known by his lay name Ioan Micu (1692 – 22 September 1768), was a Bishop of Fogaras and Primate of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church from 1730 to his resignation in 1751. He played an instrumental role in the establishment of national rights for Romanians in Transylvania (part of the Habsburg monarchy at the time of his life).

Life

He was born as Ioan Micu (Inocențiu being his clergy name, and Klein the German translation of his surname, sometimes rendered back into Romanian transcription as Clain) in Cók, Principality of Transylvania (now Sadu, Romania), in 1692 from a lower-class family. He studied by the Jesuits in Kolozsvár (now Cluj-Napoca, Romania) and – moving from Transylvania to the upper part of the Kingdom of Hungary – trained in theology in Nagyszombat (now Trnava, Slovakia).

On 18 November 1728, following the death of previous bishop Ioan Giurgiu Patachi, the electoral synod convened and Micu resulted the more voted, even if he was young and he had not yet terminated his studies. Accordingly, on 12 July 1729 the Habsburg monarch, Emperor Charles VI, designated him as new bishop of Fogaras (now Făgăraș, Romania). On 5 September 1729 he was awarded the title of Baron, and on 23 September of that year, Micu became a priest and immediately he joined the Basilian Order. Pope Clement XII confirmed him on 11 September 1730, and accordingly he was consecrated a bishop on 5 November 1730 the Eparch of Munkács. From Munkács (now Mukachevo, Ukraine) he moved to Vienna, where he pleaded the Emperor for the rights of Transylvanian people. He made his formal enthronement in Fogaras on 28 September 1732, and, following his insistence, on 11 December 1732 he was given a seat in the Transylvanian Diet.

Notes

References

  • Corneliu Albu, Pe urmele lui Ion-Inocențiu Micu-Klein ("Following in the Footprints of Ion-Inocențiu Micu-Klein"), Bucharest, 1983.
  • Augustin Bunea, Din istoria Românilor. Episcopul Ioan Inocențiu Klein (1728-1751) ("From the History of Romanians. Bishop Ioan Inocențiu Klein (1728-1751)"), Blaj, 1900.
  • Dumitru Stăniloae, "Lupta și drama lui Inocențiu Micu Clain" ("The Struggle and Tragedy of Inocențiu Micu Clain"), in Biserica Ortodoxă Română, 88, Bucharest, 1968.
  • Aloisiu Tăutu, "Testamentul și moartea Episcopului Inocențiu Micu-Klein" ("The Last Will and Death of Bishop Inocențiu Micu-Klein"), in Buna Vestire, 9, Rome, 1970.