Episcopal ordination of Msgr Jan Vokál

(May 07, 2011) Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State ordained on Saturday afternoon at St Peter’s Basilica, the Czech priest Jan Vokál, as Bishop of Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic. In his homily, after communicating the personal greetings of Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Bertone spoke of the noble task of the new Bishop, in the footsteps of St Peter, to proclaim the Resurrection of Christ in all its truth, purity and force. Without the resurrection our faith would be stripped of all value he added. Then the Cardinal went on to outline the triple duties of a Bishop, namely to govern, to teach and to sanctify. In conclusion the Secretary of State spoke of the diocese of Hradec Králové, whose history dated back to 1664 in the time of Pope Alexander VII who separated the territory from the Archdiocese of Prague. It is linked to the fortunes of Bohemia, now known as the Czech Republic, which had handed down a precious heritage of faith and spirituality to the entire Church. The see had been vacant since 1956 to 1989 due to the totalitarian regime of those days. It was during that time, that new Bishop Jan in 1983, escaping from a hostile regime as fugitive carrying a few coins in his shoes. Thus Bishop Jan Vokál had begun his service to the Holy See, which today had been crowned with his Episcopal ordination.