Biography of Cardinal Vlk

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.