A Greek-Catholic community is attested even before the year 1800, when this group was initially composed of
Transylvanian Romanians established in the Wallachian capital. Saint Basil exists as a legal entity since 1829 but it was not a place of worship being used as Roman Catholic Chapel at Călărași Street. In 1893, during the pastoral care of the future bishop
Demetriu Radu, then pastor of the church in Bucharest, was purchased land at 194 Polonă Street (currently number 50), for the construction of a church. The acquisition was made on behalf of the
Roman Catholic Church, as the authorities did not want the
Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek Catholic to own property in the
Romanian Old Kingdom. After they were late to get the authorization of the construction of the church, the authorities imposed conditions for the construction of the church, such that it would be built in the courtyard (to be less visible to passers-by). This is why the church was built at a distance of from the street. The financing of the construction of the church was made by the Greek Catholic faithful in Bucharest, the
Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia and the
Latin Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest. A significant amount (100,000
Austro-Hungarian krone) was donated to the former parish priest, Demetriu Radu, who later became bishop of the
Greek Catholic diocese of Oradea Mare. In 1909, in the feast of Saints
Constantine and
Helena (21 May), Roman Catholic Archbishop
Raymund Netzhammer sanctified the place
cornerstone of the church, assisted by the pastor of the Romanian Church with Rome in Bucharest,
Ioan Bălan future bishop and prince
Vladimir Ghika. After only seven months, on Saint Nicholas feast (December 6), Archbishop Netzhammer, under whose jurisdiction were Greek Catholics in Bucharest, consecrated the church built by architect Nicolae Ghica-Budești. It was used as a model church of Saint George in
Baia, attributed to
Stephen III of Moldova. After
World War I, with the establishment of the Deanery of Bucharest at Romanian Kingdom, Saint Basil Church came under the jurisdiction of the Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia as residence of the archdeaconate. In 1940, the year of establishment of the Vicariate for Bucharest and the Old Kingdom, the church was elevated to cathedral. Here Bishop
Vasile Aftenie worked until his arrest by the
Securitate on 28 October 1948, when the church was occupied by an Orthodox parish. Aftenie was removed from the church, arrested, and beaten to death in Securitate cells in Bucharest. Also on the night of October 28 to 29, 1948 was removed from the parish house and arrested
Tit Liviu Chinezu, Dean of Bucharest. After these arrests other three priests united in Bucharest were appointed to take over the Vicariate, Natanail Munteanu, Gheorghe Radu, and Vasile Mare, whom remained illegal in Bucharest till the election of the historian and priest
Zenovie Pâclișanu, member of the
Romanian Academy, to take over the Vicarage. Pâclișanu was arrested in 1949 and died after nine years in
Jilava Prison. Immediately after the
Romanian Revolution in December 1989, the Greek Catholic parish Saint Basil the Great in Bucharest reopened while asked its church restitution. Orthodox hierarchs initially promised return it, but they were encouraged by the state authorities do not recognize the right of believers joined the church of Saint Basil and changed their position and are no longer recognizable their promise although there are six Orthodox churches a short distance from the church of Saint Basil the Great. On June 2, 2005, in a meeting with the Prime Minister
Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, Patriarch of the
Romanian Orthodox Church Teoctist Arăpașu reaffirmed its intention to return the Church of Saint Basil to their rightful owner. But the promise was not put into practice immediately, so that the recovery continued in the courts and was won after 14 years of trials of the Greek Catholic parish. On 28 December 2006 Saint Basil the Great Church in Bucharest, back to the possession of the
Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek Catholic but to an Orthodox priest was allowed to use the rectory until February 2007. On May 4, 2008, in a ceremony attended by over 2,000 people, in the church was installed a new Greek Catholic bishop, now vicar of Bucharest,
Mihai Frățilă, and the building was elevated to cathedral. On 30 August 2014, was made a ceremony of inauguration of the first bishop of the Diocese of Saint Basil the Great of Bucharest, Mihai Frățilă. Holy and Divine Liturgy at the Saint Basil the Great Cathedral was presided by His Beatitude Cardinal
Lucian Mureșan, Major Archbishop of the
Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek Catholic, in the presence of Cardinal
Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches in Rome. ==Personalities==