Miloslav Vlk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Miloslav Vlk |
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| Cardinal Archbishop emeritus of Prague |
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Miloslav kardinál Vlk, 2012
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| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Archdiocese | Prague |
| Enthroned | 1 June 1991 |
| Reign ended | 13 February 2010 |
| Predecessor | František Tomášek |
| Successor | Dominik Duka |
| Other posts | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 23 June 1968 |
| Consecration | 31 March 1990 |
| Created Cardinal | 26 November 1994 |
| Rank | Cardinal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 May 1932 Líšnice, Sepekov, Czechoslovakia, (Present day Czech Republic) |
| Died | 18 March 2017 (aged 84) Prague, Czech Republic |
| Nationality | Czech |
| Previous post | Bishop of České Budĕjovice (1990-1991) |
| Motto | Ut Omnes Unum Sint ("That All May Be One") |
| Coat of arms |  |
Miloslav Vlk (born May 17, 1932 – died March 18, 2017) was an important leader in the Catholic Church from the Czech Republic. He served as the Archbishop of Prague from 1991 to 2010. In 1994, he became a Cardinal, which is a very high rank in the Church. He also led the Council of European Bishops' Conferences from 1993 to 2001.
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Early Life and Education
Miloslav Vlk was born in a small village called Líšnice in what is now the Czech Republic. He grew up helping with farm work. When he was 11, he started thinking about becoming a priest. This idea came from a poster in his church. At first, he thought it was an impossible dream and even wanted to be an airplane pilot!
He finished high school in 1952. During this time, the country was under Communist rule. This made it very hard to study theology (the study of religion). So, he worked in a car factory and then served in the military.
After his military service, he studied archival science at Charles University in Prague. He graduated in 1960. For a few years, he worked in different archives, which are places where historical documents are kept. He even became a director of an archive. In 1964, he finally began studying to become a priest at the Theology Faculty in Litoměřice.
Becoming a Priest
On June 23, 1968, Miloslav Vlk was ordained as a priest. He was 36 years old. This happened during a time of political change in Czechoslovakia called the "Prague Spring". Right away, he became a secretary to a bishop.
However, the government was still controlled by Communists. They were worried about his influence. In 1971, they forced him to move to isolated parishes in the mountains. Later, in 1978, the government took away his permission to work as a priest.
For the next ten years, from 1978 to 1988, Father Vlk had to live and work secretly in Prague. He worked as a window-cleaner in the city center. During this time, he secretly continued his religious work with small groups of people. From 1986 to 1988, he found work in a state bank's archives.
In 1989, things started to change in the country. He was finally allowed to work as a priest again, first in a trial period. He served in several parishes in Western Bohemia, near the German border.
Leading the Church: Bishop and Cardinal
| Styles of Miloslav Vlk |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Prague (emeritus) |
The "Velvet Revolution" in 1989 brought an end to Communist rule in Czechoslovakia. This changed everything for the Church.
- On February 14, 1990, Pope John Paul II chose Miloslav Vlk to be the Bishop of České Budějovice. A bishop is a high-ranking priest who oversees a specific area called a diocese.
- On March 27, 1991, Pope John Paul II appointed him the Archbishop of Prague. An archbishop leads a larger, more important area called an archdiocese. He officially took on this role on June 1, 1991.
- On November 26, 1994, Pope John Paul II made him a Cardinal. Cardinals are special advisors to the Pope and can vote for a new Pope.
Cardinal Vlk took on many important roles. From 1992 to 2001, he was the President of the Czech Episcopal Conference. This group brings together all the bishops in the Czech Republic. He also led the Council of European Episcopal Conferences from 1993 to 2001. This council helps bishops from different European countries work together.
He received several honorary degrees from universities in the U.S. and Germany. These degrees recognized his important work and contributions.
Cardinal Vlk passed away on March 18, 2017, after a long illness.
Papal Conclaves
Cardinal Vlk was one of the cardinals who voted in the 2005 papal conclave. This was the meeting where cardinals chose Pope Benedict XVI as the new Pope. When he turned 80 in 2012, he was no longer able to vote in future papal elections.
In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Cardinal Vlk's resignation as Archbishop of Prague. This meant he retired from that position.
Important Views and Actions
Cardinal Vlk was known for his strong opinions on several important issues.
Church Properties
He worked for many years to create new laws for the Catholic Church in the Czech Republic. A big part of this was trying to get back church property that the Communist government had taken. This included a lot of land and forests that were important for the Church's finances.
Political Concerns
Cardinal Vlk was very critical of extreme political groups in Central Europe. He spoke out against groups that showed hatred towards others. For example, he joined Jewish protests in 2007 when some right-wing groups planned a march through Prague's Jewish quarter.
He also called for the banning of the Communist Party in the Czech Republic. He did this on the anniversary of the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, when Soviet-led forces invaded the country.
See also
In Spanish: Miloslav Vlk para niños
