SLOVAKIA
The Slovak Spectator
2 Jul 2012 Flash News
The archbishop of Trnava, Róbert Bezák, has been dismissed from his position by the Roman Catholic Church. He read out a letter he had received from the Vatican authorities informing him of their decision during a mass held in Trnava Cathedral on Sunday, July 1. He also read out a letter in which the papal nuncio to Slovakia – i.e. the Vatican ambassador – Archbishop Mario Giordana, asked him to resign from his position. Bezák was officially removed from his post as of 12:00 today (Monday, July 2), upon publication of the announcement in L’Osservatore Romano, the official daily newspaper of the Vatican, the Sme daily reported.
Bezák, aged 52, replaced controversial former archbishop Ján Sokol three years ago. The step was widely welcomed given Sokol’s repeated praise of President Jozef Tiso, a Catholic priest who led the Nazi-allied wartime Slovak state under which tens of thousands of Slovakia’s Jews were deported to Nazi death camps. Bezák won popular respect when he announced that Tiso, should have resigned as soon as the first transport with Jews left the country.
Bezák has said that he does not know why he is being dismissed. He added that the Vatican even told him not to talk to the media.
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