Would You like to say something about the life of Bishop Hopko?
I love to, because Vasil 'Hopko has been a
loyal and very brave man. All his life he has been influenced by the spirits of faith and
courage and love for Christ.
He was tortured and poisoned by the Communists,
while he remained true to his faith. He refused to betray his oath of
allegiance to Rome. He was especially filled with the desire to endure the
trial, which was not to be endured by the Apostle Peter in his early years: to
remain faithful to Christ in great danger of his own live.
For this is what Vasil'Hopko felt when he was
pressed in prison to betray his oath to Rome, to betray his oath to the
Catholic Church, to betray his oath to Christ. Vasil'Hopko persevered under the most dreadful tortures. He has been
tortured severely during a whole year, without yielding. And in his later
prison years he was poisoned with arsenic, after which he has never been the
same, but he has always remained faithful. And the Slovak people knew this and
also by his example, they could keep one’s spirits up to continue to believe,
despite everything. Bishop Hopko has by his courage nourished and supported faith
in (Tjecho-) Slovakia.
He has suffered in his youth as well by the
early death of his father and the departure of his mother to America in search
of work. Oh, what did he crave for the love of his mother. What he has forsaken
in the decision to become a priest in stead of following his mother to America!
But a miracle happened: he had just decided with all his health problems to
stay in Slovakia becoming priest, or his health problems disappeared like snow
in the sun. This was one of the miracles he experienced in his earthly life.
So early he has forsaken his ego, his personal
life, his intimate desires to serve the church, to serve Christ, to serve God.
After his imprisonment he has for four years
campaigned for acceptance of the Greek-Catholic Church and was allowed for
eight years to work for the rebuilding of the church. He did this with all the
love and strength he had *, **.Vasil'Hopko is very blessed.
My blessings to you all
* After his
death he has been beatified.
**Bishop
Hopko made his own the words of Bishop Gojdic:
"For me, it is not important if I die in the Bishop's Palace or in
prison; what matters is entering into Paradise".Nr. 339
