[1][2] Education for the priesthood was prohibited when he came of age, as the Romanian Greek Catholic Church was completely suppressed by Romania's Communist government.

In 1953, because of his connection with the Romanian Greek Catholic Church, he was transferred from the air force to work on the construction of Romania's first large hydroelectric plant at the Bicaz Dam.

Since his religious affiliation made him unemployable in mining and construction, he worked at the quarry near his home town for almost a decade and then for the Department of Roads and Bridges in Maramureș until he retired in June 1990.

He had continued to study in secret with former theology professors and completed a licensing exam, so that he was prepared for ordination when the government released Romania's bishops from prison in 1964.

[1][5] After Dragomir's death on 25 April 1985, he was provisional ordinary of the diocese of Maramureș until 9 August 1986 when, having been proposed by the diocesan chapter, he was installed in that office by Archbishop of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia Alexandru Todea.

[6] He received his episcopal consecration on 27 May on the terrace of the Romanian Soldier's Monument in Baia Mare,[a] from Archbishop Todea, assisted by Ioan Ploscaru, Bishop of Lugoj, and Guido del Mestri, a veteran member of the diplomatic service of the Holy See who had been expelled from Romania in 1950,[7] in the presence of 100 priests and more than 20,000 faithful.

These modern martyrs of the 20th century offered all their suffering to the Lord for dignity and human freedom.His remarks drew a rare round of applause from the synod fathers.

[14][15][d] He was installed as major archbishop on 30 April 2006 in the presence of the prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, Cardinal Ignatius Moses I Daoud.

[21] In June 2019, he celebrated Mass at the beatification of seven Romanian martyred bishops, as Pope Francis presided, having made a point of visiting Blaj for the ceremony.