Nicolae Corneanu


Nicolae Corneanu was a Romanian metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church who led the Metropolis of Banat from 1962 until his death in 2014.
Corneanu was born in Caransebeș. In 1992, he was elected an honorary member of the Romanian Academy. He died in Timișoara, aged 90.

Honours

National honours

Controversies

In the early 1990s, the Orthodox Archbishop of Timișoara, Nicolae Corneanu, returned approximately 50 churches, including the Cathedral of the [Descent of the Holy Spirit, Lugoj|cathedral in Lugoj], to the Romanian [Greek Catholic Church|Greek Catholic Church]. However, due to his actions, the Holy Synod#Holy Synod of the [Romanian Orthodox Church|Orthodox Holy Synod] marginalized Archbishop Corneanu, and his fellow clergymen criticized him.
Corneanu promoted unity between the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
On May 25, 2008, during the consecration of the Queen of Peace parish church in Timișoara, he became the first Orthodox bishop after centuries to receive communion at a Catholic Liturgy. Metropolitan Nicolae shared the Eucharistic Chalice during the same Liturgy with two Catholic bishops, Romanian Byzantine Catholic Bishop Alexandru Mesian of Lugoj and Archbishop Francisco-Javier Lozano, the apostolic nuncio to Romania at that moment.
Two weeks later, on June 11, 2008, the event was met with hostility by Patriarch Kirill.
Being under pressure from external ecclesiastic entities, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church gave in and chastised Metropolitan Nicolae.
On July 8–9, 2008 Patriarch Daniel convoked in Bucharest a special assembly of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Under the counsel of the Holy Spirit, the majority of bishops decided to forgive Metropolitan Nicolae.
Patriarch Daniel concluded that:
"Through a sincere, deep theological dialogue, the dogmas that separate the Catholic Church from the Orthodox Church can be redefined".