© Miloslav Kardinál Vlk [www.kardinal.cz]
Ut omnes unum sint
Miloslav Vlk was born on the 17th May 1932 at Lisnice, province of Pisek in Southern Bohemia. He was brought up in Zaluzi near Chysky where he received the first education at the local school. From early childhood he was introduced to hard work, giving a helping hand in the family's farm and fields. For the first time at the age of eleven he felt a call to the priesthood. A slogan pinned on the main door of the parish church saying: "Do you also want to become a priest?" left an imprint on his mind but at that time he brushed aside any plans for the priesthood because he dreamed of becoming a pilot in the air force.
After the completion of higher studies in 1952 and unable to take up theological studies, young Miloslav Vlk worked at a Czech car-making factory in the south of Bohemia. Then, between 1953-1955 he was conscribed by the military service at Dvory near the town of Karlovy Vary. Later on during the time of unstable political liberty, he was accepted by Charles University in Prague at the faculty of Humanities to read for an Arcivistic degree. Having completed the course successfully, he graduated in 1960 and worked soon afterwards as an archivist in both Trebon Provincial Archive and Jindrichuv Hradec. In December 1960 Miloslav Vlk was appointed as a director for the provincial archive and the city of Ceske Budejovice respectively. During this work experience he embarked on writing scientifical articles in various known scientifical periodicals. Fortunately, in 1964 he was allowed to commence his studies at St Cyril and Methodius Faculty in the major seminary of Litomerice. Photo: MAFA - Nguyen Phuong Thao
In the "Spring of Prague" (1968), a short-lived period of religious liberty, Miloslav Vlk was ordained a priest at the age of 36 and appointed immediately as a secretary to the diocesan Bishop of Ceske Budejovice, Mgr Josef Hlouch. Miloslav Vlk influence and enthusiasm in the pastoral field as a newly ordained priest had aroused much concern among Communist-political authorities. In fact in 1971 he was forced to move to unremarkable villages in the mountains such as Laziste and Zablati. In 1972 he was transferred to Rozmital pod Tremsinem where he carried out his priestly ministry for a period of seven years.
Finally, the communist state authorities impeded definitely Fr. Miloslav of his priestly pastoral work. As a citizen like others Miloslav Vlk had taken refuge in the city of Prague and worked as an underground priest with small communities of lay people. During this toilsome period (October 1978 - December 1988) he could only work as a window cleaner for eight years and then as an archivist at the State Bank in Prague.
Due to political changes, on the 1st January 1989 at the age of 57, Fr. Miloslav was allowed once again to exercise his priestly ministry. So, as a matter of fact, he had been a parish priest for diverse parishes in the province of Klatovy: Zihobce, Bukovnik, Cachrov, Javorna, Zelezna Ruda, Besiny, Straz na Sumave.
Consequently, the so-called "Velvet Revolution" in 1989 brought with it also an unexpected hasty change in the life of Miloslav Vlk. He was nominated Bishop of Ceske Budejovice in Febuary 1990 and a year after, in March 1991 he became Archbishop of Prague and Primate of Bohemia, thus succeeding Cardinal Frantisek Tomasek. In 1991 he was elected President to the Czechoslovak and in 1993 (after the splitting of the Czechoslovak Republic) to the Czech Bishops´ Conference (until 2000).
In 1992 - 1993 he was conferred three honorary degrees from Illinois Benedictine College and St Thomas University in USA and a Doctorate of Theology at Passau - in Germany. In addition, he received diverse citizenships. In 2001 - 2002 he was conferred two other honorary degrees in Poland (Pontificiae Academiae Theologicae Cracoviensis, Opole University).
On the 16th April 1993, Miloslav Vlk was elected as a President to the Council of the European Bishops´ Conferences, reelected 6 June 1996 (until 2001).
Miloslav Vlk was created Cardinal on the 26th November 1994. Then on the 28th November 1994 he was nominated member of the Congregation for Oriental Churches and member of the Pontifical Communication Council.
25 February 1999 Cardinal Miloslav Vlk is awarded the Great Cross of Service (Grosses Verdienstkreuz), a state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany and 28 October 2002 the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, a state decoration of the Czech Republic, for his eminent contribution to the furtherance of democracy and human rights.
Cardinal Miloslav V L K
Archbishop of Prague and Primate of Bohemia
17 May 1932 |
Miloslav Vlk was born at Líšnice, parish of Sepekov, Province of Písek. |
1938 |
Childhood at Záluží, school at Chyšky. |
1943 |
Vocation, a call to the priesthood. |
1946 |
Studies at the Minor Seminary of České Budějovice. |
1952 |
Higher studies ("maturita") in České Budějovice. |
1953 |
Miloslav Vlk works for a year in the factory "Unione Motor" in České Budějovice. |
1953 - 1955 |
Military Service at Dvory near Karlovy Vary. |
1955 - 1960 |
Undergraduate Studies at Charles University in Prague |
1960 - 1964 |
Archivist in Southern Bohemia at Třeboň, Jindřichův Hradec and in České Budějovice |
30 September 1964 |
Studies for the priesthood at the Major Seminary at St Cyril and St Methodius faculty in Litoměřice. |
23 June 1968 |
Miloslav Vlk ordained a priest in České Budějovice, by Bishop Hlouch, for whom he was a secretary for three years. |
1 June 1971 |
Fr. Vlk was transferred in a little village in the mountains at Lažiště, Záblatí, (district of Prachatice) in Ľumava. |
1 Nov 1971 |
State authority has prevented Fr. Vlk from his priestly ministry |
1 November 1972 |
Sixteen months later, he worked as a priest in Rožmitál pod Třemšínem (parish Bohutín, Drahenice, province of Příbram). |
7 June 1978 |
The State revoked the impedement for Fr. Vlk to exercise his priestly ministry at České Budějovice.diocese |
From 1 October 1978 |
Once again Fr. Miloslav was prevented from his priestly ministry. On 31 December 1978, he took refuge in Prague and worked as an underground priest with several lay people for ten years. |
1978 - 1986 |
Prague: Miloslav Vlk, window cleaner. |
1986 - 1988 |
Prague: Archivist at the Czechoslovakian Bank. |
1 January 1989 |
Miloslav Vlk was granted permission to resume his priestly ministry and was a parish priest at źihobce and Bukovník in Klatovy, West Bohemia. |
1 September 1989 |
Parish priest at the boundaries of Baveria and Čachrov, Běšiny, Javorná, źelezná Ruda and Strážov. |
14 Febuary 1990 |
Miloslav Vlk appointed Bishop of České Budějovice. |
31 March 1990 |
Consecration at the Cathedral of České Budějovice. |
March 1991 |
Miloslav Vlk nominated Archbishop of Prague and Primate of Bohemia. |
1 June 1991 |
Prague's Archbishop official Enthronement. |
1991 |
Miloslav Vlk elected President to the Czechoslovak Bishops´ Conference. |
1992 |
Miloslav Vlk elected President to the Council of the European Bishops´ Conferences |
1993 - 2000 |
Miloslav Vlk elected President to the Czech Bishops´ Conference (after the splitting of the Czechoslovak Republic). |
16 April 1993 |
Miloslav Vlk elected President to the Council of the European Bishops´ Conferences. |
26 November 1994 |
Miloslav Vlk was created Cardinal. |
28 November 1994 |
Cardinal Vlk nominated by Pope a member of the Congregation for Oriental Churches and member of the Pontifical Communication Council. |
6 June 1996 |
Miloslav Vlk, reelected President to the Council of the European Bishops´ Conferences (until 2001). |
25 February 1999 |
Cardinal Miloslav Vlk is awarded the Great Cross of Service (Grosses Verdienstkreuz), a state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. |
28 October 2002 |
Cardinal Miloslav Vlk is awarded a state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany and 28 October 2002 the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, a state decoration of the Czech Republic, for his eminent contribution to the furtherance of democracy and human rights. |
He was conferred five honorary Doctorate and he received diverse citizenships.