Ján Sokol (bishop) explained

Ján Sokol (born 9 October 1933) is a Slovak archbishop and former Archbishop of Trnava and Bratislava.

Type:Archbishop
Honorific-Prefix:His Excellency
Ján Sokol
Archbishop Emeritus of Trnava
Church:Roman Catholic
Archdiocese:Archdiocese of Trnava
Appointed:May 19, 1988
Term Start:June 12, 1988
Term End:April 18, 2009
Successor:Róbert Bezák
Ordination:June 23, 1957
Consecration:June 12, 1988
Consecrated By:Francesco Colasuonno
Birth Date:9 October 1933
Birth Place:Jacovce, Czechoslovakia
(now Slovakia)
Partner:-->
Coat Of Arms:Arcibiskup Sokol Ján.jpg
Ján Sokol
Deathstyle:not applicable

Life

Sokol was born in Jacovce, Topoľčany District. He studied at a grammar school in Topoľčany and studied theology and philosophy in Bratislava, before being ordained as a priest in 1957. He was subsequently a chaplain in Šurany (1957–58), Levice (1958–60), Bratislava-Nové Mesto (1960–66) and Štúrovo (1966–68). From 1968 to 1970 he was a prefect at a Catholic seminary in Bratislava, before working again as a chaplain in Sereď in 1970–71, and was a dean there until 1975.

He was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Trnava in 1987, and appointed as a titular bishop of Luni in May 1988 and consecrated bishop in June 1988 in the St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Trnava. He became Archbishop of Trnava in 1989 and Archbishop of Bratislava and Trnava in 1995.

On 14 February 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as the Archbishop of the newly reformed Archdiocese of Trnava, which remained an Archdiocesis despite no longer being metropolitan.[1] In accordance with the canon law, upon reaching 75 years of age, he requested to be released from his office. Pope Benedict XVI named Róbert Bezák as his successor on 18 April 2009.

Controversy

Ján Sokol is listed as having cooperated with the former Communist Czechoslovak secret police, according to the documents from Ústav pamäti národa (ÚPN, Nation's Memory Institute), however, he denied any cooperation.[2] He is also criticized for praising Jozef Tiso, the president of Slovakia from 1939 to 1945. Tiso's government was responsible for the deportation of Jews from Slovakia.[2] [3] [4]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.sme.sk/c/3729272/Pribudli-diecezy-Sokol-ostal-arcibiskupom.html SME: Pribudli diecézy, Sokol ostal arcibiskupom (New dioceses, Sokol remains an archbishop) (Slovak)
  2. http://www.spectator.sk/articles/view/31319/2/after_200_years_the_catholic_church_gets_a_makeover.html Slovak Spectator: After 200 years, the Catholic Church gets a makeover
  3. http://www.spectator.sk/articles/view/31550/2/archbishop_prays_for_tiso.html Slovak Spectator: Archbishop prays for Tiso
  4. http://www.sme.sk/c/3077003/Zvaz-zidovskych-obci-vytkol-Sokolovi-ze-obhajoval-vojnovy-stat.html SME: Zväz židovských obcí vytkol Sokolovi, že obhajoval vojnový štát