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Ján Dechet (28 June 1908, Radošina – 10 June 1968, Bratislava) was a Slovak Roman Catholic priest. He was excommunicated in 1950 by the Holy See for accepting the position of administrator of the Banská Bystrica diocese from the Communist Czechoslovak government. His excommunication was subsequently lifted in 1951.
History
editStarting in 1949, the Communist government of Slovakia sought to develop ties with the local Catholic clergy and gain their support. A considerable part of the Slovak clergy supported the Communists, influenced by left-wing nationalism which gave the pro-Communist priest the moniker of "patriotic priests". This tendency was mainly represented by Catholic priests such as Alexander Horák and Jozef Lukačovič.[1]
In 1950, the Slovak Presidium increased the state salaries of Slovak clergy by about 2/3, and introduced obligatory vow of allegiance where the clergy was to affirm their loyalty to the Communist authorities. Despite the Vatican instructing the Slovak priests against taking the oath,2,280 clergy were summoned, 2216 out of 2280 Slovak Catholic priests (97%) took the oath. A prominent Slovak Communist, Gustáv Husák, wrote that the policy of encouraging progressive clergy was a definite success: "Despite the instructions of the Catholic bishops, the majority of the clergy did not make any oral or written reservations about the vows wording… On the whole, it can be said that the uniform composition and signing of the vow is a complete defeat of the episcopal agitation against the vow, or for the vow with written reservations, as well as ordered in the pastoral letter in November."[1]
Subsequently, Slovak authorities implemented a law according to which clerical appointments would need to be approved by the state. However, the Catholic Church initially ignored it - when the bishop of Banská Bystrica, Andrej Škrábik, died on 8 January 1950, the former General Vicar, Daniel Briedoň, announced his appointment without seeking state consent. The Slovak authorities refused to accept Briedoň's appointment, and forced him to resign in February. After consulting the local progressive clergy, the government offered the office to Ján Dechet, who accepted the position of "state administrator" of the Banská Bystrica diocese on 13 February 1950.[1]
Dechet was then excommunicated from the Catholic Church, which was announced on Radio Vatican.[2] Slovak bishops also issued a pastoral letter in which they refused to accept Dechet's appointment. In order to prevent Dechet from giving in to pressure and resigning, Slovak authorities organized a massive campaign in his support, organizing a delegation of workers from Podbrezová, which expressed its support of Dechet. Additionally, Slovak Communists appointed two other pro-Communist priests to Dechet to act as chancellor and secretary of the diocese, and assigned him extensive state protection.[1]
Ultimately, local Catholics accepted Dechet, and fellow clergymen defended his appointment. Reporting on the situation, Husák wrote in March: "The event in Banská Bystrica was quite successful […] We managed to concentrate a considerable number of clergy, no longer on a meeting, but on an active speech against the Vatican, thus hitting the Vatican’s efforts to isolate Dechet. The situation of Dechet has been consolidated and the progressive priests strengthened."[1]
Dechet performed his functions despite the excommunication, and was also elected the Capitular Vicar in 1951. This proved to be a considerable issue to the Catholic structures in Slovakia, as per ecclesiastical law, all Dechet's decisions were invalid. Vatican relented, and in early 1951 his excommunication was lifted by the Bishop of Trnava, Ambróz Lazík.[1]
In 1955, he received the Czechoslovak Order of the Republic.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f Černák, Tomáš (2021). "The Contribution of Gustáv Husák to the Anti-Church Measures of the Communist Regime in the Years 1948–1950" (PDF). Pamięć i Sprawiedliwość: biuletyn Głównej Komisji Badania Zbrodni przeciwko Narodowi Polskiemu Instytutu Pamięci Narodowej. 37 (1): 139–168. doi:10.48261/pis213707.
- ^ F. Vnuk, Vládni zmocnenci na biskupských úradoch v rokoch 1949–1951, Martin 1999, p. 115
- ^ Hal'ko, Jozef; Pešek, J. (January 2006). "Vicar Jan Dechet - A symbol of the violence of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia directed towards subversion of the Catholic Church". Historický časopis. 54 (2): 287–304.