page_title: Persecutions of the Catholic Church and Pius XII
section_title: Romania, Bulgaria and Albania
hierarchical_section_title: Persecutions of the Catholic Church and Pius XII / Communist persecutions / Persecutions and Church policies / Romania, Bulgaria and Albania
caption_attribution_description: English: Sfânta Treime Romano-Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral in Blaj This is a photo of a historic monument in județul Alba, classified with number AB-II-m-A-00187
context_page_description: Persecutions against the Catholic Church took place throughout the pontificate of Pope Pius XII. Pius' reign coincided with the Second World War, the commencement of the Cold War and the accelerating European decolonisation. During this time, the Catholic Church faced persecution under Fascist and Communist governments.
  The Nazi persecution of the church was at its most extreme in Occupied Poland. The defeat of Fascism at the end of World War II ended one set of persecutions, but strengthened the position of Communism throughout the world, intensifying a further set of persecutions – notably in Eastern Europe, the USSR, and, later, the People's Republic of China. The Catholic Church was under attack in all Communist governed countries and lost most of its existence in Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania, Communist China and the Soviet Union.
context_section_description: After World War I, Romania inherited large parts of Catholic Hungary including large Catholic populations, which were not always treated well between the wars. The Apostolic Constitution Solemmni Conventione of 1930 includes a concordat between Romania and the Vatican. It allowed for four dioceses and free exercise of religion within the country. Because of rival interpretations the concordat was reenacted ten years later in 1940. In 1948, the Communist government withdrew from the concordat and closed most Catholic institutes. Only two small dioceses were permitted to continue, and the others considered non-existent. The six united bishops and several Latin rite bishops were jailed to long sentences. All schools were closed and Catholic activities outlawed.
  Bulgaria became a People's Republic on 15 October 1946. The new constitution of 1947 limited religious activities. Massive Church persecution followed. The Church lost all its bishops, organizations, and religious institutes. Most of the priests and religious perished within five years, many of them in Siberia.
  In Albania, the Communist government assumed the role of liberator, since the country was under Italian occupation since 1939. The Catholic Church was denounced as the Church of the oppressors. All foreign priests and religious were expelled. Domestic bishops, priests, and religious were killed, jailed, or sent to unknown destinations. As in other countries, a peace-loving national Church was attempted as well. The government prided itself on having eradicated religion and closed every Catholic Church.
caption: Sfânta Treime Romanian Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral
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