O prietenie din exil: Ion Rațiu și Gerard Patricj Aloysius o’Hara

Abstract

One of the least known aspects of Romanian history is the struggle of the leaders of the Romanian democratic exile against communism. One of these leaders was Ion Rațiu, who was a successful businessman and journalist for prestigious institutions such as the BBC. He founded and ran Romanian publications in exile, was politically active in favor of constitutional monarchy and was one of the leaders of the Romanian Greek Catholics. In London, he met the Pope’s representative in Great Britain, Apostolic Delegate Gerard Patrick Aloysius O’Hara, an American-born archbishop. A lasting friendship developed between them, evidenced by dozens of letters exchanged. These letters have never before been published. They concern a tangled affair involving the purchase of a luxury car in Bucharest. But they also show the trust that existed between the two protagonists, who were making plans for the Romanian Church United with Rome, the Greek Catholic Church.