Ján Chryzostom Korec was born in Bošany on 22nd January 1924. After he finished his primary school education in the village where he was born, he moved on to complete his secondary education in the nearby village of Chynorany. In 1939 he joined the Jesuit order. Following the dissolution of religious orders and monasteries in 1950, his freedom of movement was limited and he was forced to live as a civilian. He took holy orders in the same year. On 24th August 1951 he was ordained as a bishop at the age of 27. Both of these ceremonies took place in secret. However, he could not act as a bishop in public. In 1960 he was imprisoned and sentenced to 12 years after he was found guilty of treason. After his release from prison in 1968, he enthusiastically participated in the restoration of religious life in Slovakia, although he suffered from poor health. In 1969 the state forbade him to provide pastoral care, so he continued to work as a labourer. Abroad he was known as the “bishop in dungarees”. The change of social system after 1989 had an impact on his life as it did on that of many others. Pope John Paul II appointed him as the Bishop of Nitra on 2nd February 1990. He led the Diocese of Nitra until 16th July 2005. On 28th June 1991 Pope John Paul II promoted him to cardinal during a papal consistory. His scientific activities, bravery and unwavering defence of human dignity, freedom, the identity of the Slovak nation and its Christian values, earned him multiple honorary doctorates and state decorations. He wrote a number of books in the series, Library of Faith. He died on 24th October 2015 in Nitra. He was buried in the Cathedral – Basilica of St. Emeram which is part of Nitra Castle.
Jozef Tomko was born on 11th March 1924 in Udavské. He completed his primary school education in the village of his birth. He completed his secondary education at the grammar school in Michalovce. He was admitted to the seminary at the Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology of Cyril and Methodius in Bratislava in 1943 where he studied theology. In 1945 he was sent to Rome to complete his studies. In 1948 he was forbidden to return to Slovakia and in 1949 he was ordained in Rome. He held several positions within the Church in Rome and also further broadened his theological knowledge. From 1960 to 1963 he made a significant contribution to the establishment of the Slovak Institute of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Rome. During the Second Vatican Council he worked as an expert in the doctrine of the faith. After that event he held various senior positions within the Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II appointed him as a titular bishop and the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops in 1979. He was ordained as a bishop on 15th September 1979 in Rome. In 1985 Pope John Paul II appointed him as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and he was promoted to cardinal. Following his leadership of this important congregation he went on to serve in various important senior posts within the Catholic Church. He was the author of several books. He was honoured by the award of honorary doctorates and state decorations by many countries. He died on 8th August 2022 in Rome. He was buried in the crypt of the Cathedral of St. Elisabeth in Košice.
Ján Vallo
