Inocenţiu Micu-Klein

Inocenţiu Micu-Klein (1692—1768) was a Romanian Greek-Catholic Bishop of Blaj who 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 ("Inocenţiu" being his clergy name, and "Klein" the German translation of his surname, sometimes rendered back into Romanian transcription as "Clain") in Sadu, nowadays in Sibiu County, to a lower-class family, was schooled by the Jesuits in Cluj and trained in theology in Trnava.

On February 25, 1729, Emperor Charles VI appointed him the Greek Catholic Bishop of the Archdiocese of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia in Transylvania, as well as Imperial Councilor. In September of that year, he was awarded the title of "Baron", and given a seat in the Transylvanian Diet. That month, Micu became a priest, and joined the Basilian monastic order, before being confirmed as bishop in November. In 1737, he moved the bishopric seat from Făgăraş to Blaj, and laid the foundations to the local cathedral in 1741.

As a member of the Diet (Parliament) of Transylvania, Inocenţiu Micu began to press the Habsburg Monarchy to fulfill the Agreement that conversion to Greek Catholicism would bring with it Roman Catholic-like privileges for Romanian inhabitants also, and an end to serfdom. First pressing for rights for clergy and converts, he soon began to petition for freedom for all Romanians. Micu petitioned the Habsburg court for over forty years to this end. His perseverance ultimately made both the Austrian Empress Maria Theresia and Transylvania's Diet declare themselves offended - the Hungarian majority in the Diet opposed the liberation of the work force or the awarding of political rights to Romanians (Vlachs), considered by the Diet as "moth for the cloth". Exiled in 1744, and asked to give up his bishopric in 1751, Micu died in Rome 17 years later.

References

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