Tomáš Špidlík

Styles of
**Tomáš Špidlík**
Styles of; Tomáš Špidlík
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	none

His Eminence

Tomáš Špidlík

S.J.
His Eminence; Tomáš Špidlík; S.J.
Cardinal-Deacon of Sant'Agata de' Goti
	The cardinal pictured in Rome.
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Appointed	21 October 2003
Installed	5 February 2004
Term ended	16 April 2010
Predecessor	Silvio Angelo Pio Oddi
Successor	Raymond Leo Burke
Orders
Ordination	22 August 1949
Created cardinal	21 October 2003; by Pope John Paul II
Rank	Cardinal-Deacon
Personal details
Born	Tomáš Špidlík; 17 December 1919; Boskovice, Moravia, Czechoslovakia (modern-Czech Republic)
Died	16 April 2010 (aged 90); Centro Ezio Aletti, Rome, Italy
Alma mater	University of Brno; Pontifical Oriental Institute
Motto	Ex toto corde
Signature
Coat of arms

Tomáš Josef Špidlík, S.J. (17 December 1919 – 16 April 2010) was a Czech prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a Jesuit priest and theologian. Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal in 2003.

Biography

Špidlík was born in 1919 in Boskovice, then Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic. In 1938, he entered the Department of Philosophy at the University of Brno, in what is now the Czech Republic. In the following year, he entered the Jesuit novitiate and after many interruptions in his education due to World War II, he was ordained a priest of the Society of Jesus on 22 August 1949 in Maastricht.^[1] in 1949. A year later, in Florence, he finished his formation period as a Jesuit.

In 1951, Špidlík was called to Rome by Vatican Radio. The programs broadcast to the countries behind the Iron Curtain were a precious aid to a freedom in danger of being slowly but inexorably suffocated. From this work with Vatican Radio sprang a special mission that would always accompany him and that made him known in lands despite their communist domination. Among others, he met with Alexander Dubček, the former first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, and Václav Havel, who became president of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic after the fall of the communist regime. Špidlík's Sunday homilies in Czech have been translated and published in various languages including Polish, Romanian and Italian.

He lived in Rome from 1951 until his death.^[2]

In 1995 he delivered the annual Lenten retreat meditations for the pope and officials of the Roman Curia.^[2] In June he defended his doctoral dissertation at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. That year marked the beginning of his university career as a professor of Patristic and Eastern Spiritual Theology at various universities in Rome. Špidlík became known as an expert in the spirituality of Eastern Christianity.

For 38 years he was the spiritual director of the Pontifical Nepomuceno Seminary, the old Bohemian Seminary.

On 21 October 2003, at the age of 83, he was created Cardinal Deacon of the titular church of Sant'Agata dei Goti. Although he was not a voting cardinal, he was created a cardinal in recognition of his theological writings.

The Cardinal was a prolific author and was equally acknowledged in the academic and international fields. He was received at the Kremlin, led the spiritual exercises of Pope John Paul II and his Curia, and was decorated with the medal of the Masaryk Order, one of the highest honors of the Czech State, by president Václav Havel.

In 2005 Špidlík delivered the meditation on the first day of the papal conclave just before the first ballot was taken. Because of age he was not eligible to participate in the voting.^[2]^[3]

He died in Rome on 16 April 2010.

References

^ Tsjechische curiekardinaal kreeg priesteropleiding in Maastricht – http://www.l1.nl/L1NWS/_pid/links4/_rp_links4_firstElementId/1_4553755/_rp_links4_hasclickpage/1_1013
^ ^a ^b ^c Allen Jr., John L. (13 April 2005). "Two conclave preachers are open, ecumenical". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
^ Walsh, Mary Ann (2005). From Pope John Paul II to Benedict XVI. Rowman and Littlefield. pp. 52–3, 93. ISBN 9781580512022. Retrieved 24 August 2017.

Works

Spirituality of the Christian East: A Systematic Handbook (Cistercian Studies) Language: English ISBN 0-87907-979-7 ISBN 978-0879079796
Prayer: The Spirituality of the Christian East Vol.2 Publisher: Liturgical Press (30 July 2005) ISBN 0-87907-706-9 ISBN 978-0879077068
Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary : Ancient Wisdom for Today's World (Cistercian Studies, No 148) Publisher: Cistercian Publications (June 1994) ISBN 0-87907-348-9 ISBN 978-0879073480
Geist und Erkenntnis: Zu spirituellen Grundlagen Europas : Festschrift zum 65. Geburtstag von Prof. ThDr. Tomas Spidlik SJ (Integrale Anthropologie) Publisher: Minerva Publikation (1985) Language: German ISBN 3-597-10314-6 ISBN 978-3597103149
Les grands mystiques russes Publisher: Nouvelle cité (1 January 1995) ISBN 2-85313-037-1 ISBN 978-2853130370
Le chemin de l'esprit: Retraite au Vatican (Initiations) (French Edition) Publisher: Fates (1996) Language: French ISBN 2-204-05461-5 ISBN 978-2204054614
Ignazio di Loyola e la spiritualita Orientale: Guida alla lettura degli Esercizi (Religione e societa) (Italian Edition) Publisher: Edizioni Studium (1994) Language: Italian ISBN 88-382-3693-3 ISBN 978-8838236938
Zive slovo: Denni evangelium (Czech Edition) Publisher: Refugium Velehrad-Roma; Vyd. 1 edition (1997) Language: Czech ISBN 80-86045-13-7 ISBN 978-8086045139
Sculptured Prayer: Twelve works of Helen Zelezny interpreted by Thomaso Spidlik. Rome 1968. Language English. Finito di stampare nello Stabilimento di Arti Grafiche Fratelli Palombi in Roma