News digest: Slovakia's only cardinal has died

The extremist ĽSNS party will not be disbanded. A new popular place in the Tatras.

(Source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)

Good evening. The Monday, August 8 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes.


Vatican's former number 3 has died

Cardinal Jozef Tomko, the most influential Slovak in the Holy See, has died at the age of 98 in Rome.

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Under Pope John Paul II, he became the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and was the third most influential person in the Catholic Church.

He was the oldest member of the College of Cardinals.

In April 1991, he attended a parliamentary session in Bratislava, which was seen as a historic event.

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"The Slovak public had the opportunity to see the Slovak cardinal for the first time in his dignity, greatness and concern for the nation's fate in the crisis situation of the post-communist period," the Conference of Slovak Bishops pointed out.

Tomko died on the morning of August 8, 2022 in his flat. He had been based in Rome since 1945, where he arrived as a young man from eastern Slovakia.

He had been Slovakia's only living cardinal until his passing.

President Zuzana Čaputová's reaction: "With the passing of Cardinal Jozef Tomko, we have lost a person who always remembered Slovakia and its interests, who helped a lot of people who were fleeing from the communist regime and who, until the last moments of his fulfilling life, gave us the optimism and hope that we can handle all crises."

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Funeral: 11:00 on August 11 at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Burial: St. Elizabeth's Cathedral in Košice, eastern Slovakia.

St. Elizabeth's Cathedral in Košice.St. Elizabeth's Cathedral in Košice. (Source: KPÚ Košice)

For a deeper insight into current affairs, check out our Last Week in Slovakia piece published earlier today. You can sign up for the newsletter here.


More stories from The Slovak Spectator website:


FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY

Are there hidden chambers in the Pyramids?

Scientists have spent years studying methods for detecting underground voids and cavities. According to their simulations, a method called gravimetry could be used to find cavities not just in the Great Pyramid itself, but in others as well.

Read more about Slovak science on here.


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IN OTHER NEWS:

  • The Economy Ministry has signed a contract with Slovenské Elektrárne, the largest electricity provider in Slovakia, which should keep electricity prices at today's level in the coming two years. Brussels will have to approve the text. The decision is expected to be made by November 2022.
  • The collection of signatures for an early election referendum will end on August 15. The Smer party said that they have already collected the necessary 350,000 signatures.
  • Hrebienok, a tourist resort, is the most popular place in the Tatras following last week's counting of tourists. Popradské pleso, a lake, came second.

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.


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