Atanasie Rednic

Atanasie Rednic
Primate of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church
ChurchRomanian Greek Catholic Church
DioceseDiocese of Făgăraş
Appointed15 May 1765
Installed13 November 1765
Term ended2 May 1772
PredecessorPetru Pavel Aron
SuccessorGrigore Maior
Orders
Ordination1749 (Priest)
Consecration4 August 1765 (Bishop)
by M. Olsavszky
Personal details
Born(1722-02-00)February 1722
Died2 May 1772(1772-05-02) (aged 50)
Blaj, Principality of Transylvania

Atanasie Rednic (February 1722 – 2 May 1772) was Bishop of Făgăraş and Primate of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church from 1765 to his death in 1772.

Early life and education

Atanasie Rednic was born in February 1722 in Giulești, Maramureș to an influential family. He studied by the Jesuits in Cluj and from 1743 in the Institute Pazmanian in Vienna, where he graduated in theology in 1747.

Career

He moved to the monastery in Mukachevo of the Order of Saint Basil the Great and in 1749 he took the monastic vows and was ordained a priest. From 1751, he moved to Blaj, where he cooperated with bishop Petru Pavel Aron in spreading instruction: he founded schools and was appointed the rector of the seminary, and later he became the vicar of the bishop.[1]

On 30 June 1764, after the death of the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church, which is often debated due to historical context, now the Romanian Greek Catholic Church, the bishop of Făgăraş Petru Pavel Aron, the electoral synod convened, and Rednic ranked only fourth in the results. Nevertheless, and against the will of the monks, the Habsburg monarch, Empress Maria Theresa, designated him as the new bishop. Rednic accepted the government's requests for assistance to improve the conditions of the clergy. Pope Clement XIII confirmed the designation on 15 May 1765, and Rednic moved from Vienna to the Carpathian Ruthenia, where he was consecrated bishop on 4 August 1765 [2] by M. Olsavszky, the Eparch of Mukachevo. He later arrived in Blaj, where he was enthroned on 13 November 1765 .[3]

As bishop, he continued to request financial support from the government to improve the conditions of the parishes and schools, without achieving significant results. He also attempted to revitalize the monastic life in Blaj, introducing a strict discipline that he himself adhered to. He also continued to support instruction, enlisting the more cultured monks as teachers and providing aid grants for students to study abroad. [1]

Rednic lived an ascetic life. He ate only vegetables and never wore silk clothing.[4]

Death

He died in Blaj on 2 May 1772.[5]

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Episcopul Atanasie Rednic". BRU. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  2. ^ Ritzler, Remigius (1958). "Fogariensis". Hierarchia catholica Medii aevi sive summorum pontificum, S.R.E. cardinalium, ecclesiarum antistitum series. Vol. 6. Padua. p. 217.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ Capros, Carol (1998). Biserica Română Unită două sute cincizeci de ani de istorie. Vol. 1. Cluj-Napoca. pp. 46–48. ISBN 973-9288-11-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Crăciun, Maria; Fulton, Elaine. (2011). Communities of Devotion: Religious Orders and Society in East Central Europe, 1450-1800. Ashgate. p. 261. ISBN 978-0-7546-6312-6
  5. ^ "Bishop Atanasie Rednic, O.S.B.M." Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 23 January 2015.