ROME
Chiesa
In Slovakia, Archbishop Bezák has the support of the media. He is seen as open and modern. But Benedict XVI has removed him. For bad management of the assets of the diocese and for infidelity to doctrine and discipline
by Sandro Magister
ROME, September 20, 2012 – At the end of last spring, an article from www.chiesa focused on the many cases of bishops asked to resign by the Vatican because they were seen as no longer capable of fulfilling their office, or, in the case of refusal to resign, “relieved” of their posts personally by the pope:
> Vatican Diary / The “who’s who” of the deposed bishops
A few days after the publication of this article, another case of this kind emerged in Slovakia.
The news is in a terse statement from the Vatican dated July 2:
“Il papa ha sollevato dalla cura pastorale dell’arcidiocesi di Trnava (Slovacchia) S.E. Mons. Róbert Bezák, C.SS.R.”.
The deposed archbishop, 52 years old, a Redemptorist, has left his post and has also been obliged to reside outside of the archdiocese. But his case appears to be far from closed. It is invading the Slovakian media and dividing public opinion, Catholic and not. Leading intellectuals and artists have closed ranks in defense of this “bishop with a human face,” according to them unjustly driven out for having wanted to expose the malfeasance of his predecessor Jan Sokol, who retired in 2009 after reaching the age limit.
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