A Faithful Church

In the framework of the reorganization of the Greek-Catholic Church in Slovakia, Benedict XVI elevated the Eparchy of Prešov, for Catholics of Byzantine rite, to Metropolitan See and promoted Msgr. Ján Babjak, until today Eparchial Bishop of Prešov, to the dignity of Metropolitan Bishop. The Greek-Catholic Church of Slovakia thus acquired the status of Metropolitan Church “sui iuris”. This occurred thanks to a series of measures. Benedict XVI has in fact elevated the Apostolic exarchate of Košice for Byzantine-rite Catholics to the status of Eparchy, making it suffraganeous to the Metropolitan See of Prešov, nominating as firs eparchial bishop the present exarch, Msgr. Milan Chautur, Titular Bishop. Lastly, the eparchy of Bratislava was elected for Catholics of Byzantine rite, making it more suffragenous to the Metropolitan See of Prešov. The Pope appointed Reverend F. Peter Rusnák, as parish priest of the Greek-Catholic Church of the Holy Cross Exaltation in Bratislava. There are presently three Metropolitan Churches “sui iuris”: the Ethiopic, the Ruthenian, and the Slovakian ones. An important step . The Metropolitan erection of the Greek-Catholic Church in Slovakia by Benedict XVI “is the first of a series of diocese restructuring interventions under way also in the Latin rite Church. This represents an important step.” These were the remarks of Msgr. Marian Gavenda, chief editor of Slovakia’s Catholic weekly, commenting the steps taken by the Pope for the Church in the Country. These “are gradual steps, which could have been made many years ago” but which were prevented by a long history of suffering. First two world wars, then the years of Communist rule, when the fight against the Church in the country intensified. Fidelity paid with martyrdom . One of the most important and well-known figures in the history of the eparchy of Prešov is bishop Pavel Peter Gojdi who was interned in 1950 with his auxiliary Hopko for having refused to consign the keys of the Cathedral to the representatives of the pseudo-synod. The Greek-Catholic Church was outlawed and stripped of all its rights and property. Despite threats of death and imprisonment, most priests remained faithful to the Pope and to the See of Rome. In 1951, bishop Gojdi, along with the two Latin Bishops Buzalka and Vojtassak, was sentenced to life-imprisonment with a farcical trial. He died on July 17 1960 in the prison of Leopoldov. His auxiliary Vasil’ Hopko spent 13 years in prison, and from 1963 to 1968 was interned in Osek, in Boemia. In the so-called “normalization” period, marking the establishment of the Communist regime in the 1970s, the Greek-Catholic Church survived under strict state surveillance and control. Direct persecution was replaced by close scrutiny entailing pastoral care restrictions. “Spiritual fruits” . The historical tuning point occurred in 1989 with the collapse of the Communist regime. On February 17 1990, Jàn Hirka was consecrated bishop and Episcopal residence was restored to the Greek-Orthodox Church. With Act 211/1990, the government of the Slovakian Republic declared that all measures taken by the previous government were invalid. Thus, the Greek-Orthodox Church came to new life. Today it counts 350 faithful, 374 priests and 254 parish Churches. The inter-eparchial seminary is attended by 75 seminarists. “It is fully united with the Holy See and with the Pope -said Msgr. Gavenda -, paleloslav -ancient Slovak language- being the liturgical language. They have their own traditions, rites and liturgical texts. They used to live mostly in Eastern Slovakia. Then, with the great migration in Western Slovakia and to the centre of the Country, Churches and parish structures were erected. This led to the need for a diocese.” The decisions taken today by Benedict XVI must therefore be viewed within this historical background. At the roots of the spiritual fruits enjoyed today by the Greek-Catholic Church, are to be included the beatification of the martyrs of this Church: bishop Pavel Peter Gojdi, the religious Metod Dominik and bishop Vasil’ Hopko.