- Jozef Tomko
Jozef Tomko (born
11 March 1924 ) is aSlovakia n Cardinal of theRoman Catholic Church . He served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 1985 to 2001, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1985.Biography
Jozef Tomko was born
Udavské , nearHumenné , inCzechoslovakia (modern-daySlovakia ). He studied at the Theological Faculty ofBratislava , and then traveled toRome to study at the Pontifical Lateran Athenaeum andPontifical Gregorian University , from where he obtained his doctorates in theology, canon law, and social sciences.Tomko was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Luigi Traglia on
March 12 ,1949 . He then did pastoral work in Rome and Porto e Santa Rufina until 1979. From 1950 to 1965, he served as vice-rector and later rector of thePontifical Nepomucenum College . He taught at the International University "Pro Deo" from 1955 to 1956 as well. Tomko was raised to the rank of Privy Chamberlain supernumerary onDecember 5 ,1959 , and entered the service of theRoman Curia in 1962, as anadjunct in the Book Censorship Section of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In reference to the more lenient measures taken against dissident theologians, he once remarked, "The electric chair and gas chamber are no more" [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,904729,00.html No More Heresy]February 15 ,1971 ] . Tomko became an Honorary Prelate of His Holiness onJune 17 ,1970 , and aprofessor at his "alma mater " of the Pontifical Gregorian University during that same year as well. In addition to his academic duties, he was namedUndersecretary of the Sacred Congregation for Bishops in 1974. He also co-founded the religious journal of theInstitute of Sts. Cyril and Methodius .On
July 12 ,1979 , Tomko was appointedSecretary General of the World Synod of Bishops and Titular Archbishop of "Doclea" byPope John Paul II . He received his episcopal consecration on the followingSeptember 15 from John Paul II himself, with Archbishop Eduardo Martínez Somalo and Bishop Andrew Gregory Grutka serving as co-consecrators. Tomko was later named Pro-Prefect of theCongregation for the Evangelization of Peoples onApril 24 ,1985 .John Paul II created him Cardinal Deacon of "
Gesù Buon Pastore alla Montagnola " in theconsistory ofMay 25 of that same year. On the followingMay 27 , Tomko rose to become full Prefect of the congregation (an office once known as the "Red Pope" for its influence) and thus Grand Chancellor of thePontifical Urbaniana University . Throughout his tenure, the Cardinal became a closeconfidant of Pope John Paul, and served as a special papal envoy to several religious celebrations and events to an array of different countries. He was named a member of thePresynodal Council for Special Synod of Asian Bishops in September 1995. After ten years' standing as a Cardinal Deacon, he opted for order of Cardinal Priests (assuming the titular church of "S. Sabina") onJanuary 29 ,1996 .Tomko was appointed
President of thePontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses onOctober 23 ,2001 , ending his sixteen-year-long tenure as Prefect of Evangelization of Peoples. In this post, he presided over theHoly See 's delegation to theInterreligious Congress inAstana ,Kazakhstan , fromSeptember 23 toSeptember 24 ,2003 . He lost the right to participate in any futurepapal conclave s upon reaching the age of eighty onMarch 11 ,2004 .Upon the death of John Paul II on
April 2 ,2005 , Tomko and all major Vatican officials, in accord with custom, automatically lost their positions during the "sede vacante ". He was later confirmed as President of International Eucharistic Congresses byPope Benedict XVI on the followingApril 21 . The Cardinal later retired his post as President onOctober 1 ,2007 .References
External links
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/btomko.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
* [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-t.htm#Tomko Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church]
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