Alojz Tkáč
Monsignor Alojz Tkáč (2 March 1934 – 23 May 2023) was a Slovak Roman Catholic prelate. He was the bishop of Košice from 1990 to 1995, the first archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Košice from 1995 to 2010 and archbishop emeritus until his death.
His Excellency Alojz Tkáč | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop Emeritus of Košice | |
 Tkáč in 2019 | |
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Appointed | 31 March 1995 |
| Term ended | 4 June 2010 |
| Predecessor | Position established |
| Successor | Bernard Bober |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 25 June 1961 by Ambróz Lazík |
| Consecration | 17 February 1990 by Jozef Tomko |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 March 1934 |
| Died | 23 May 2023 (aged 89) Košice, Slovakia |
| Buried | Cathedral of St. Elizabeth |
| Previous post(s) | Bishop of Košice (1990–1995) |
| Alma mater | Comenius University |
| Motto | Praedicare, regere, sanctificare (Latin for 'To announce, to govern, to sanctify') |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Alojz Tkáč | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
Early life
Tkáč was born in the village of Ohradzany to a religious farming family. His father was the mayor of the village. He wanted to become a priest since childhood. Following education at a Grammar School in Humenné, he applied to study Theology at the Comenius University, where he was accepted in 1956 after being turned down three times.[1]
Church Career
Priesthood and persecution
Tkáč was consecrated in 1961 by the Bishop of Trnava Ambróz Lazík. Following the mandatory military service, Tkáč worked in the archive of the Košice Diocese.
On 23 October 1974 Tkáč criticized the state of the church at an internal meeting. His speech was broadcast by Vatican Radio and Radio Free Europe. The Communist regime punished Tkáč by withdrawing state consent for Tkáč to preach.[2] As a result, Tkáč made a living as a tram driver and lumberjack.[3]
In 1983, following a temporary improvement of the relationship between the Church and the regime, Tkáč was again granted permission to work as a priest and was assigned to the parish in the Červenica village.
Bishop and archbishop of Košice
Following the Velvet Revolution, the Pope John Paul II assigned Tkáč to the role of the Bishop of Košice, which had been vacant since the death of bishop Jozef Čársky in 1962 due to the resistance of the Communist regime to the appointment of a new bishop.[4]
In 1995 the Košice Diocese was promoted to Archdiocese with Tkáč becoming its first Archbishop. As the Archbishop he opened a new house for priests in Veľký Šariš, renovated the seminary in Košice, established new parishes and presided over the construction of 80 new churches. He was also instrumental in the establishment of a Carmelite monastery at Sídlisko KVP.[5]
In 1997, he defended Jozef Tiso, the fascist president of World War II era Slovak Republic (1939–1945) and relativized his role in the Holocaust, claiming that "rich and powerful" Jews living overseas did not do enough to save the European Jews.[6]
In 2009 Tkáč reached the age of 75 and, following the canonical law, submitted his resignation to the Pope Benedict XVI, who accepted it in 2010. Tkáč was replaced by Bernard Bober, who had been his auxiliary bishop since 1992.[7] Tkáč continued to assist Bober in the capacity of an Archbishop Emeritus until his death on 23 May 2023.
Personal life and death
Tkáč donated blood more than hundred times. He financially supported the education of children in Asia and Africa.[8]
Tkáč died on 23 May 2023, at the age of 89.[3] He is buried in the crypt under the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth.[9]
References
- "Príbeh pamätníka Alojz Tkáč (1934)". Ústav pamäti národa (in Slovak). Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- "Impulz: Prenasledovanie Alojza Tkáča". www.impulzrevue.sk. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- "Zomrel emeritný košický arcibiskup Alojz Tkáč". TERAZ.sk (in Slovak). 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- "Tkáč profile at KBS". www.kbs.sk. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- "Mons. Alojz Tkáč je 20 rokov na biskupskom stolci". korzar.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- "Arcibiskup Alojz Tkáč – homília pri 50. výročí smrti prezidenta Jozefa Tisa 18. 4. 1997". Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- Sambor, Miroslav. "Nový arcibiskup Bernard Bober si želá zrozumiteľných kňazov". korzar.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- "Úmrtie / Vo veku 89 rokov zomrel emeritný košický arcibiskup Alojz Tkáč". svetkrestanstva.postoj.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- "V Košiciach pochovávajú emeritného arcibiskupa Alojza Tkáča. Rozlúčiť sa s ním prišli stovky veriacich". TA3 (in Slovak). 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.