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Bp. [[Polycarp (Morusca) of Detroit|Polycarp (Morusca)]], the ruling bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America had returned to Romania in 1939 to attend the meeting of the [[Holy Synod]] of the Church of Romania and was not able to return as World War II had begun. After the war he was detained by the new Communist government of Romania. In 1947, a new government law (No. 166 of 1947) dissolved the Episcopate and placed Bp. Polycarp in retirement. In 1949, another law required that leaders appointed by the Romanian Patriarchate for Romanian Orthodox communities outside Romania be approved by the government. The first hierarch appointed to lead the American Romanian Orthodox community, Bp. Antim Nica, was not accepted by the American Episcopate.
In 1950, the Romanian Orthodox Missionary Episcopate in America was chartered by a Romanian Holy Synod decision of [[July 12]], 1950. The Romanian Patriarchate selected an American citizen, Fr. [[Andrew (Moldovan) of Detroit|Andrei Moldovan]], as the candidate for bishop to lead the new Missionary Episcopate and was called him to Romania for his consecration. After his consecration in Romania, Bp. Moldovan returned to the United States and organized those parishes loyal to the new Missionary Episcopate. Subsequently, Bp. Moldovan was succeeded by Bp. Victorin.
By a decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Romania, Decision 14079 of [[December 12]], 1974, the Synod approved the elevation of the Missionary Episcopate to that of an Archdiocese in recognition of the elevation of the ruling bishop, Abp. Victorin, to archbishop and renewed the status of autonomy for the now Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada.
