Bishop emeritus of Nitra, Cardinal Ján Chrysostom Korec (88) recalled the 63rd anniversary of his bishop ordination on Sunday. Cardinal Korec is the oldest Catholic bishop in the world still in service.
On 24th August, 1951 at age 27, he received Episcopal ordination clandestinely by Bishop Pavel Hnilica; however, until 1990 the communist regime didn’t let him to carry out his pastoral service to the public, so he worked as a manual worker. Working in a factory for nine consecutive years, he carried on his priestly mission and that of bishop without being discovered by anyone. He was also arrested and imprisoned twice. Nevertheless, this didn’t stop him from secretly ordaining 120 priests. On 6 February, 1990 the Holy Father appointed Mons. Korec, Bishop of Nitra. Moreover, he carries also several honorary doctorates and a personality that goes beyond the borders of Slovakia. Cardinal Korec can still vividly recall the August of 1951: “In a situation of uncertainty and the constant threat of freedom, I had to decide to become a secret bishop.” He continues that the very morning after his Episcopal ordination he went back to manual work, “to roll barrels of gasoline”.
