Eighty-five years ago, on 10 September 1940, Father Aurel Munteanu, the first dean (archpriest) of Huedin, reposed in the Lord after being, in the words of historian Mircea-Gheorghe Abrudan, “brutally killed by a group of chauvinistic Hungarians”, in the context of Northern Transylvania being ceded to Hungary under the Second Vienna Award of 30 August 1940.
Life of Priest-martyr Aurel Munteanu
Martyr Aurel Munteanu was born on May 2, 1882, in Merghindeal, Sibiu County. He studied theology in Sibiu and Blaj and was ordained a priest in 1907 in the parish of Valea Drăganului, Cluj County. From childhood, he was raised in an Orthodox spirit and with a strong sense of national dignity.
In 1911, he was elected secretary and librarian of the Cluj Deanery, and in 1918, he was a delegate at the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, contributing to the Union of Transylvania with Romania. His presence at this historic moment reflected the prestige he enjoyed in the community.
Between 1920 and 1923, he established the ASTRA (Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature and the Culture of the Romanian People) branch in Huedin, and in February 1923, he was elected the first protopope of Huedin, with broad community support. His activity went beyond the strictly religious sphere, as he became a promoter of education and social welfare for the local Romanians.
Perhaps his most significant achievement was the building of the “Moți Cathedral” (Saint Nicholas Church) in Huedin, consecrated in 1934. The cathedral became a symbol of unity and of the Romanian faith in the Apuseni region, built with great effort and with the mobilisation of the entire community.
Father Aurel Munteanu was deeply involved in the cultural and political life of Romanians, defending their rights as a deputy, county councillor, religion teacher, member of the diocesan assembly, and president of the local Anti-Revisionist League.
Martyrdom of Priest-martyr Aurel Munteanu
His martyrdom is recorded in official documents of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “He was beaten in the street with fists and clubs, thrown to the ground, his hair and beard torn out together with his flesh, and one of his assassins thrust a stake into his mouth until it pierced through the back of his neck.”
On the same occasion, gendarme Gheorghe Nicula, who tried to defend Father Aurel Munteanu, was also killed.
The memory of Protopope Aurel Munteanu is commemorated every year in Huedin by the Church and local authorities. Numerous articles, studies, and volumes have been dedicated to him in recent decades.
Photo: Radio Renașterea
