In Slovakia, a public controversy continues to swirl around the case
of Archbishop Robert Bezak, who was removed the leadership of the Trvana
archdiocese in July by Pope Benedict XVI.
Archbishop Bezak remains popular in Slovakia, and the open discord
between the deposed prelate and his predecessor, Archbishop Jan Sokol,
has been the subject of a lively continuing discussion. Sandro Magister
of L’Espresso tells the story.
When he became Archbishop of Trvana in 2009, after Archbishop Sokol
retired at the age of 75, Archbishop Bezak quickly distanced himself
from his predecessor, claiming that the archdiocese had been mismanaged
and criticizing the chancery staff.
Eventually he asked the Vatican to
conduct an apostolic visitation or the archdiocese, to investigate the
claims of fiscal irresponsibility and perhaps also the reports of
collaboration with the old Communist regime.
However, the Vatican investigation uncovered evidence that Archbishop
Bezak himself had mismanaged archdiocesan funds.
Moreover, the apostolic
visitation found that the new archbishop had shown a “blatant lack of
observance of liturgical norms,” a cavalier disregard for Church
teaching, and a reliance on priests who were openly engaged in sexual
relationships. Thus the Vatican’s decision to remove him from his see.
While supporters of Archbishops Bezak and Sokol continue to bicker, and
journalists in Slovakia question the management practices of both
prelates, the post of Archbishop of Trvana remains unfilled.