- The Great Union Day on December 1st celebrates the unification of Transylvania and other Romanian provinces with Romania in 1918. - Iuliu Hossu was a Greek-Catholic Bishop in Transylvania who was a supporter of Romanian nationalism. He studied in Rome and held positions in the Diocese of Lugoj. - During World War 1, Hossu was elected Vice-President of the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, where on December 1st, 1918 he read the Resolution of Union declaring the unification of Transylvania with Romania.

1. UNIVERSITATEA DE STIINTE AGRONOMICE SI
MEDICINA VETERINARA BUCURESTI
INGINERIE SI MANAGEMENT IN ALIMENTATIE PUBLICA
SI AGROTURISM
100 Years after
The Great Union Day
Iuliu Hossu
Constantin Dragoṣ
8312

2. • The Union of Transylvania with Romania was declared on December 1 [O.S.
November 18] 1918 by the assembly of the delegates of ethnic Romanians
held in Alba Iulia.
• The national holiday of Romania, the Great Union Day occurring on
December 1, celebrates this event. The holiday was established after the
Romanian Revolution, and marks the unification not only of Transylvania,
but also of the provinces of Banat, Bessarabia and Bukovina with the
Romanian Kingdom. These other provinces had all joined with the Kingdom
of Romania earlier in 1918.

3. • (b. January 30, 1885, Milaş, Romania – d. May 28, 1970, Bucharest,
Romania)
• Greek-Catholic Bishop Iuliu Hossu was noted as a theologian, but also as
a supporter of the Romanians’ movement in Transylvania. He studied
Philosophy and Theology in Rome. After completing his studies, he held
various positions in the Diocese of Lugoj and in 1917 was appointed
Bishop of Gherla, in central Transylvania. After the outbreak of the Great
War, Hossu was mobilised as military priest.
Iuliu Hossu

4. His involvement in the national movement was recognised by
other Romanian leaders and in 1918 Hossu was elected Vice-
President of the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia. It was
him who read, on 1 December 1918, the Resolution of Union
of Transylvania with Romania. The next day he was elected to
the delegation which was tasked with presenting the
Resolution of the Great National Assembly to King Ferdinand

6. • Bishop Iuliu Hossu continued his political career and became a senator in the
Romanian Parliament during the interwar period. His activity in this capacity
was mainly aimed at strengthening national unity, protecting territorial
integrity, but also towards defending the rights and liberties of the Church.
After the establishment of the Communist dictatorship in 1947, the venerable
prelate was arrested and isolated until his death in 1970.