Speaker Boris Kollár from the Sme Rodina party. (source: TASR - Jaroslav Novák)
A day before the September 30 early election, outgoing Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár (Sme Rodina) signed a memorandum with Bernard Bober, president of Conference of Bishops of Slovakia (KBS) on the establishment of the chaplain post for the National Council, which is the official name of Slovak parliament.
The chaplain, whose name has not been revealed, is to celebrate masses in the Bratislava Castle chapel.
When asked who came up with the idea, KBS spokesperson Katarína Jančišinová said the initiative arose from the Office of the National Council, a body responsible for various operations in the parliament. However, the latter claimed the opposite and that Kollár agreed because of "persistent interest in spiritual service".
Kollár himself is the father of 13 children with 11 women. In politics, he tried to present himself as a defender of traditional values. The establishment of the post was his signal to the conservative voters, the Sme daily writes. However, his party did not get into the parliament.
In 2010, then prime minister Iveta Radičová established a chapel for at the Government Office. Catholics and Protestants hold their church services here. A chapel can be found in the Presidential Palace, too.
MPs may not use the service
According to the memorandum, the chaplain is supposed to hold a regular service - at least once a week. Upon request of the Office of the National Council, he is to serve a mass on a holiday or on Sunday. In addition, he should be available to both MPs and employees of the parliament for a spiritual conversation or confession.
No more details are provided.
KBS will pay the chaplain, select him and they can also replace him. The Conference did not answer most of the question of Sme. The memorandum forbids it without the previous consent of the Office. The latter says that this is a standard approach.
When asked whether they would use the services of the chaplain, several MPs were evasive about it. Former health minister and conservative politician Marek Krajčí (OĽaNO) said 'probably no'. When he had to step down during the Covid-19 pandemic, he compared himself to Jesus Christ. Former Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) head Alojz Hlina (now SaS) said that he would not. New KDH MP Peter Stachura did not rule out the possibility, neither did former investment and regional development minister and MP Veronika Remišová (Za Ľudí).
