Tomáš Halík Explained

Honorific Prefix:The Reverend Monsignor
Tomáš Halík
Birth Date:1 June 1948
Birth Place:Prague, Czechoslovakia
Alma Mater:Charles University in Prague
Occupation:Priest, philosopher, theologian
Awards: Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
Signature:Halik signature.svg
Module:
Child:yes
Religion:Christianity
Church:Roman Catholic Church
Ordained:21 August 1978 (priest)
Writings:Patience With God
Night of the Confessor
Congregations:St. Salvator Church, Prague

Tomáš Halík (in Czech ˈtoma:ʒ ˈɦali:k/;[1] born 1 June 1948) is a Czech Catholic priest, philosopher, and theologian. He is a professor of sociology at the Charles University in Prague, pastor of the Academic Parish by St. Salvator Church in Prague, and president of the Czech Christian Academy.

Since 1989, Halík has lectured at universities and international scientific conferences in Europe, the United States, Asia, Australia, Canada, and Southern Africa. He was also a visiting professor at Oxford University, Cambridge University and Harvard University.[2]

He is an author of several books on religion and spirituality and a recipient of numerous awards and prizes including the Templeton Prize,[3] Romano Guardini Prize[4] and an honorary degree from Oxford University.[5] In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI granted him the title of Monsignor Honorary Prelate of His Holiness.[6]

As an active member of religious and cultural dissent during Communist era, Halík was appointed by Pope John Paul II as an advisor to the Pontifical Council for Dialogue with Non-Believers in 1992. In the Saint Salvator Church in Prague, he often holds joint prayers and meditations with members of other religions such as Jews, Buddhists,[7] and Muslims.[8] Due to his views on the other religions, his support for registered partnerships (but not gay marriage), and his stance on immigration, he has received both praise and criticism.[9] [10]

Biography

Communist era

Halík converted to Catholicism at 18 years old, due to the influence of writers like G. K. Chesterton and Graham Greene. He studied Sociology and Philosophy at Charles University, in Prague, then Czechoslovakia, where he was a student of Jan Patočka. He moved briefly abroad to study English at the University of Wales, in Bangor, where he was surprised by the Soviet-led invasion of his country, meant to crush the Prague Spring, in August 1968. He returned to Prague, where he graduated in 1972. He did a speech at his doctoral graduation ceremony that was deemed subversive by the Communist regime, which banned him from teaching or holding any academic position. He then worked as a psychotherapist, from 1972 to 1975. He held the chair of Psychology of Work for the Institute of the Ministry of Labour, from 1975 to 1984. Meanwhile, Halík clandestinely studied Theology in Prague, and on 21 August 1978, was secretly ordained as a Roman Catholic priest at Erfurt, East Germany. He studied and received a post degree in Psychology from the Institute of Medicine in Prague in 1984. He worked as a psychotherapist for drug addicts and alcoholics at the clinic for cure of addictions of the Charles University, in Prague, from 1984 to 1990. In the 1980s he was active in the "underground church" and was a close associate of Cardinal František Tomášek, before the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989.

Democratic regime

After the "Velvet Revolution", which meant the triumph of democracy in his country, he was one of the external advisers of Czech president Václav Havel. Pope John Paul II appointed him as an adviser to the Pontifical Council for Dialogue with Non-Believers in 1992. He licenciated in Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University, in Rome, in 1992. The same year he took a higher doctorate in Sociology from Charles University and ThDr.hab. in theology at the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Wrocław, Poland. Halík joined the Sociology Faculty at his alma-mater in 1993 and became a professor in 1997. He is also the head of the Religious Studies Department. As a visiting fellow, he held lectureships at both Oxford University and Cambridge University, in England. Hálik is the rector of the Church of the Holy Saviour, in Prague, since 1990, and co-founder and longtime President of the Czech Christian Academy. Pope Benedict XVI nominated him monsignor, as an honorary prelate of the pope, in 2008.[11]

He often publicly discusses ethical issues, such as racism, political and religious intolerance, the process of secularisation, as well as the process of European expansion and integration.

Tomáš Halík is a member of several scientific societies, including the European Society for Catholic Theology, the International Society for the Psychology of Religion, and Washington-based Czechoslovak Society for Science and the Arts.

In 2010, his book Patience with God (Vzdáleným nablízku: vášeň a trpělivost v setkání víry s nevírou) was named book of the month by the U.S. Catholic Book Club[12] and was awarded Europe's best theological book prize.[13]

Halík has publicly speculated a run for the Czech presidency. In 2015, Zdeněk Škromach announced he would run,[14] to which Halík had said the year earlier that, if there were no candidates worthy, naming Škromach as one such candidate, he would have a moral obligation to run.[15] However, in early 2016, he stated that he believed the office of president no longer appealed to him, as "it is the time for demagogues" such as the current Czech President Miloš Zeman and Donald Trump. He also did not believe he had high chances of succeeding in the 2018 race, as he would have only won "the voices of the sane and educated", believing that he would need to go against his moral compass and campaign on a populist and controversial platform.[16]

Controversial views

Halík is generally blamed for positions he shares with Pope Francis that are considered controversial by traditionalist circles of the Catholic Church. Halík has criticized the controversial stands of some catholics on homosexuality. He warned of the risks associated with the legislation on abortion, specially in Eastern Europe, claiming that the near-total ban on abortion in Poland would "encourage ‘abortion tourism’ of Polish women to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, contributing very little to the protection of the unborn and failing to actually stop the evil of abortion."[17]

Honors, awards and prizes (selection)

Publications

Books in English

Books in Czech

Books in French

Books in Italian

Books in German

Books in Spanish

Books in Portuguese

Books in Dutch

External links

Notes and References

  1. In isolation, Tomáš is pronounced in Czech pronounced as /ˈtoma:ʃ/.
  2. Web site: Monsignor Tomáš Halík . Under Caesar's Sword, University of Notre Dame . 18 July 2016.
  3. http://www.templetonprize.org/previouswinners/tomas-halik.html Tomáš Halík at Templeton Prize Official Website
  4. Web site: ROMANO GUARDINI PRIZE: TO BE AWARDED TO CZECH PHILOSOPHER TOMAS HALIK ON 27 SEPTEMBER . Società per l'Informazione Religiosa . 24 September 2010 . 18 July 2016.
  5. Web site: Oxford announces honorary degrees for 2016. 25 February 2016. University of Oxford. 30 June 2016.
  6. Web site: Tomáš Halík se stane monsignorem . cs . iDnes.cz . 20 June 2008 . 18 July 2016.
  7. Web site: Mezináboženský dialog na Foru 2000 . cs . Katolický týdeník . 17 October 2006 . 18 July 2016.
  8. Web site: INTERVIEW S TOMÁŠEM HALÍKEM . cs . SHEKEL.CZ . 23 August 2010 . 18 July 2016.
  9. Web site: Válka mezi kardinálem Dukou a Halíkem kvůli pochodu homosexuálů? Nesmysl . lidovky.cz . cs . 20 July 2015 . 18 July 2016.
  10. Web site: Rozdělená nejen společnost ale i církev. Duka versus Halík, papež František? . cs . skutecnosti.cz . 25 April 2016 . 18 July 2016.
  11. http://www.britannica.com/biography/Tomas-Halik Tomáš Halik at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  12. Patience with God: The Story of Zacchaeus Continuing In Us . Review . USC Book Club . U.S. Catholic . Megan . Sweas . July 2010.
  13. Web site: Czech philosopher Halík wins 'best theological book' prize . Česká Pozice . https://web.archive.org/web/20120402182119/http://m.ceskapozice.cz/en/news/society/czech-philosopher-halik-wins-%E2%80%98best-theological-book%E2%80%99-prize . 2012-04-02.
  14. Web site: Škromach chce kandidovat na prezidenta. Konec srandy, beru to vážně, tvrdí Domov. Lidovky.cz. 14 January 2017. 2 February 2015.
  15. Web site: Halík zvažuje kandidaturu na Hrad. Nezříkám se zodpovědnosti, uvedl. iDNES.cz. 14 January 2017. 4 August 2014.
  16. Web site: Halík: Církev mi kandidaturu nezakázala, ani nemohla, Zeman nemluví pravdu. Novinky.cz. 21 June 2016 . 14 January 2017. cs-CZ.
  17. Web site: Halík . Tomáš . December 20, 2020 . The Revolution of Mercy and a New Ecumenism . April 27, 2023 . Catholic Outlook.
  18. News: Czech priest and former dissident Tomáš Halík wins £1.1m Templeton prize. Bingham. John . 13 March 2014. The Telegraph. 13 March 2014.

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