Bishop Mihai Cătălin Frățilă

Mihai Frăţilă was born on December 10, 1970, in Alba-Iulia, into a family with a tradition of priesthood. He studied theology in Rome (1991–1996) at the Urbaniana and Gregorian universities—holding a scholarship at the Pontifical Pio Romeno College—and at the Catholic Institute of Paris. Ordained a priest in 1996, he served as vice-rector and subsequently as rector of the Pio Romeno College in Rome. On June 20, 2007, he was elected by the Synod of Bishops of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church (United with Rome) as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Alba-Iulia and Făgăraş; this election was proclaimed by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, on October 27, 2007. He was ordained bishop in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Blaj on December 16, 2007, and on May 4, 2008, he was solemnly installed in Bucharest as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Alba-Iulia and Făgăraş, as well as Vicar General for Bucharest and the territory of the former Kingdom. On May 8, 2014, he was elected by the Synod of Bishops of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church as Bishop of the newly established Greek-Catholic Eparchy of Saint Basil the Great in Bucharest; this election was proclaimed by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, on May 29, 2014. His Excellency Mihai, Greek-Catholic Bishop of Bucharest, is the author of the following works: *God Is Where He Wishes to Meet You: Simplicity in Fragments* (Galaxia Gutenberg, 2005); *Light Is a Gift from Heaven: Viewing Life Through God’s Eyes* (Galaxia Gutenberg, 2007); *“With One Mouth and One Heart”: The Liturgy Anew* (Galaxia Gutenberg, 2007); and *The Precedence of Respite*. Imaginary Essays on the Theology of Hope (Galaxia Gutenberg, 2013); The Courage to Improvise: Belated Essays on the Unseen Grace of Life (Ed. Surorilor Lauretane, 2014); Can God Be Sent into Exile? On the Risks of Salvation and the Chance of Patience (Humanitas, 2016).