“You should not abandon your faith. I notice that some people are writing every word of mine. I will not give up to my religion, no matter of the consequences.”
Arieşanu Gabriel is Greco-Catholic priest. He was arrested on 3 of March 1950 because of his membership to this church. He was investigated, trialed and imprisoned for a year together with other priests at Gherla. During the arrest, he was pressured to renounce to his faith. Still, he continued to represent the community he was part of by refusing any of the proposals made by the Securitate. More than this, he took part to the process of Greco-Catholic Church's reactivation in the underground. During communist regime, the Greco Catholic-Church was forbidden by the decree from 3 of September 1948. During the days of 27 -29 of October 1948 all bishops were arrested, among which the most known case is of the bishop Iuliu Hossu. On 1 st of December 1948, the Great National Assembly decided through the decree 358 that all activities of the Greco-Catholic cult are illegal and all properties were expropriated.
