Bishop Bercea was born on 9 December 1957 in Habic, Romania. After his studies in agricultural science and working experience in this field, he took courses in theology. On 9 December 1982 he was ordained a priest of the Greek-Catholic Church.
Virgil Bercea specialised in dogmatic theology in Rome and, after having finished his licentiate, he was consecrated Bishop on 8 September 1994, as the Greek-Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Fagaras and Alba Iulia (Romania) and as Titular Bishop of Pupiana. Since 1996 he has been Coadjutor Bishop of Oradea Mare (Romania), and since 1997 Bishop of the diocese. In 2000 Virgil Bercea was decorated with the national award “Faithful Service”. In 2004 he completed his doctorate at the Papal University Urbaniana in Rome.
Since November 2007 Mgr. Bercea is the Bishop Delegate of the Romanian Bishops’ Conference to COMECE.