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.
