Sokol was born in Jacovce, Topoľčany District. He studied at a grammar school in Topoľčany and studied theology and philosophy in Bratislava, before being ordained as a priest in 1957. He was subsequently a chaplain in Šurany (1957–58), Levice (1958–60), Bratislava-Nové Mesto (1960–66) and Štúrovo (1966–68). From 1968 to 1970 he was a prefect at a Catholic seminary in Bratislava, before working again as a chaplain in Sereď in 1970–71, and was a dean there until 1975.
On 14 February 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as the Archbishop of the newly reformed Archdiocese of Trnava, which remained an Archdiocesis despite no longer being metropolitan.[1] In accordance with the canon law, upon reaching 75 years of age, he requested to be released from his office. Pope Benedict XVI named Róbert Bezák as his successor on 18 April 2009.