John Michael Botean

John Michael Botean is an American prelate of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church who has served as the first eparch of the Eparchy of Saint George in Canton, Ohio, since 1996.

Born on 9 July 1955 in Canton, Ohio, to Romanian-American parents John and Amelia (née Popa) Botean, he grew up in a family with one younger brother, Mark, and attended local schools in the Diocese of Youngstown before pursuing ecclesiastical studies.

John Michael Botean completed his formation at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and the Institutum Orientale, earning a baccalaureate in sacred theology, a licentiate in Eastern canon law, and a doctorate in Eastern canon law.

Full Name	John Michael Botean
Gender	Male
Occupation	Prelate
Date of Birth	09-July-1955 (70 years)
Birth Year	1955
Birth Location	Canton, Ohio, United States

Ordained a priest on 18 May 1986 for what was then the Romanian Catholic Diocese of Canton by Bishop Vasile Louis Pușcaș, Botean initially served as associate pastor at Saint Mary's Church in Cleveland, Ohio, before becoming pastor of Holy Ghost Church in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1987.

In 1993 he was appointed chancellor of the diocese and pastor of the cathedral in Canton, roles that positioned him for higher responsibility amid the growing needs of Romanian Greek Catholics in North America.

On 24 August 1996, Pope John Paul II appointed him as the inaugural eparch of the newly elevated Eparchy of Saint George in Canton, which serves Romanian Greek Catholics across the United States and Canada, with its cathedral at Saint George Byzantine Catholic Cathedral; his episcopal ordination occurred on the same day, with consecration by Archbishop Basil Schott and co-consecrators Bishops Pușcaș and Nicholas Elko.

As eparch, John Michael Botean has led a jurisdiction with fourteen parishes and five missions in the U.S. and two parishes in Canada, emphasizing the preservation of Byzantine liturgical traditions, Eastern canon law, and the spiritual heritage of Romanian Greek Catholics suppressed under communism in their homeland.

He serves on the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh and participates in ecumenical dialogues, including as a member of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission.

In March 2003, John Michael Botean issued a pastoral letter declaring moral cooperation with the Iraq War gravely sinful, forbidding direct participation by clergy or faithful in his eparchy—a stance that drew international attention amid debates over just war theory.

John Michael Botean has engaged in broader Catholic discourse on topics such as married priests, Vatican policies under Pope Francis, peacemaking in Ukraine, and Eastern Catholic identity, often speaking candidly about the joys of the Gospel and the beauty of the Church.

He joined other Ohio Catholic bishops in issuing statements on contemporary issues, including opposition to certain ballot measures in 2025.