Vasile Aștileanu finished secondary studies at the “George Bariț” highschool in Cluj (1925–1933), went to college at The United Theological Academy in Cluj (1933–1935) and continued with studies in philosophy and theology at the college De Propaganda Fide in Rome (1935–1942), where he was sent by the bishop Iuliu Hossu.
After his release from prison, he was for a short time Roman Catholic vicar of the “Saint Apostles Peter and Pavel” church in Răducăneni from what is currently the Iași County.
In November 1958, after Aștileanu's “come to his senses”, many Greek-Catholic priests who had been practicing clandestinely (in Turdaș, Benic, Crișcior, Beldiu etc.)
[2] While he was a Patriarchal general inspector, he also served as a priest at the Popa Tatu church and the Antim Monastery in Bucharest (1958–1961).
[4] The editor of the book, the monk Silvestru Augustin Prunduș, has mentioned in a foot note that towards the end of his life, when he was already the bishop of Arad, Visarion Aștileanu received communion from Romanian Greek Catholic priests to whom he confessed that he feels trapped like into a prison, being closely watched by the diocese staff.