The deposed archbishop of Trnava Róbert Bezák should refrain from making comments for the media – including spiritual addresses, the TASR newswire learnt on Saturday, March 2.

In a statement for TASR, Bezák (who has been appearing on news-only TA3's talk-show on Sunday called A Word in Time) said that a message to this effect was conveyed to him by the Redemptorist Order, of which he is a member, in the Vatican on February 27. The 'instruction' came from the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, Marc Ouellet, in Rome.

"I'm asking representatives of the media to respect this. I would also like to thank all the people who have reached out to me, showed affection, help and support," reads the statement from Bezák who did not appear on the programme on Sunday. He was removed as archbishop of Trnava by the former pontiff Benedict XVI in July 2012. The ousting of the widely popular clergyman, who at least judging by opinion polls would even have a shot at being elected for president, provoked furore in Slovakia, and it appeared to stem from his whistle-blowing regarding financial transactions involving top church officials in Slovakia.

(Source: TASR)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.