The Completion of the Church Unification from 1700-1701 under the bishop Atanasie

The religious unification around year 1700, betweeen a part of the Orthodox believers from Transylvania and the Church of Rome, of Catholic religion, had represented an event that left a profound spiritual mark on the Romanian and Transylvanian population. The efforts for a Unification had started under the Orthodox bishop from Transylvania, Teofil (1692-1697), a part of the Orthodox priests being willing to accept it for a series of rights and benefits. These efforts could not be accomplished because of the sudden death of the bishop in 1697. As a result of the endeavours of the next bishop of the Romanians, Atanasie, a part of the Orthodox believers had joined the new Greek-Catholic communion around 1700-1701. There is no doubt that this historical and religious endeavour was not an easy one, Atanasie being compelled to „sail” in the muddy waters of the religious structure in Transylvania. This oscillation between the Orthodox and Catholic religions, under the strict supervision of the Imperial authorities from Wien, had triggered the completion of the religious Unification at the beginning of the 18th century and the development of the Greek-Catholic church in Transylvania.