Bolesław Kominek

infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Bolesław Cardinal Kominek
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=Wrocław|

Bolesław Cardinal Kominek (December 23, 1903—March 10, 1974) was a Polish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Wrocław from 1972 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1973.

Biography

Bolesław Kominek was born in Radlin, German Empire (today part of Wodzisław Śląski) to Franciszek, a miner, and Kataryna (née Kozielskich) Kominek. Studying at the gymnasium of Rybnik and the Catholic University of Kraków, he received the subdiaconate in 1926 from August Cardinal Hlond, SDB, and the diaconate in 1926 from Bishop Arkadiusz Lisiecki.

He was ordained to the priesthood by the same Bishop Lisiecki on September 11, 1927 in Katowice (Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship, Poland), and then furthered his studies at the "Institut Catholique de Paris" and did pastoral work among the Polish immigrants in Paris until 1930. Kominek did pastoral work in the Diocese of Katowice from 1930 to 1939, and with Polish fugitives during World War II until 1945, serving in Lublin, Katowice, and Upper Silesia. He was named one-sidedly Apostolic Administrator of Opole on August 15, 1945 by August Cardinal Hlond although this was not recognized by the Vatican; Kominek's ministry was interrupted by the Communist regime of Poland on January 26, 1951.

On April 26, 1951, Kominek was appointed Titular Bishop of "Sophene" by Pope Pius XII. His residence was designated as Wrocław (Breslau), but the Communist regime forbade him from assuming residence there and from being consecrated. The Holy See refused to appoint Kominek as archbishop of Wrocław/Breslau, as at that time the German bishop Theodor Bensch was still firmly considered to be the legitimate Catholic archbishop of Breslau. Nevertheless, Kominek received his episcopal consecration clandestinely on October 10, 1954 from Bishop Franciszek Barda, with Bishops Franciszek Jop and Wojciech Tomaka serving as co-consecrators. The consecration was kept secret until 1956, during October of which he finally settled in Wrocław. Kominek was later named Titular Bishop of "Vaga" on December 1, 1956, Titular Archbishop of "Euchaitae" on March 19, 1962, and Apostolic Administrator "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" on May 25, 1962. With Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak serving as principal consecrator, Bishops Kominek and Jop co-consecrated Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II, as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Krakow. From 1962 to 1965, he attended the Second Vatican Council. In June 1966, "Życie Warszawy" called for the removal of Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński and for Kominek as his replacement; however, the latter responded by stating, "On questions of the existence of the Church, we [the hierarchy] are always together" [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,899215,00.html The Angry Strangler] June 17, 1966] .

Pope Paul VI appointed him the second Archbishop of Wrocław on June 28, 1972, and created him Cardinal Priest of "S. Croce in via Flaminia" in the consistory of March 5, 1973. Cardinal Kominek later died in Wrocław, at the age of 70, and is buried at the metropolitan cathedral of Wrocław.

References

External links

* [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-k.htm#Kominek Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church]
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bkominek.html Catholic-Hierarchy]