László Lékai
Encyclopedia
László Lékai was Archbishop of Esztergom
and a Cardinal
.
He was ordained to the priesthood on 28 September 1934. He served as a Faculty member at the Seminary
of Veszprém
and did pastoral
work in the diocese of Veszprém from 1934 until 1944. He served as private secretary
to future Cardinal József Mindszenty, who was at that time Bishop of Veszprém. He was imprisoned in a Nazi prison from November 1944 to February 1945. He was appointed a Privy chamberlain supernumerary
on 22 January 1946.
Bishop
of Giro di Tarasio and appointed apostolic administrator
, ad nutum Sanctæ Sedis, of Veszprém in 1972. He was appointed as Apostolic administrator of Esztergom
on February 5, 1974. Pope Paul VI
appointed him to the metropolitan
and primatial see
of Esztergom in 1976.
of May 24, 1976. He took part in the conclave
of August 25 to 26, 1978
and in the conclave of October 14 to 16, 1978
.
Archdiocese of Esztergom
The archbishopric of Esztergom was a historical diocese created in 1000 under Stephen I of Hungary largely on the territory of Upper Hungary. After the Treaty of Trianon, its territory was reduced to its present-day extent and it became the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest on 31 May 1993...
and a Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
.
He was ordained to the priesthood on 28 September 1934. He served as a Faculty member at the Seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of Veszprém
Veszprém
Veszprém is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately north of the Lake Balaton. It is the administrative center of the county of the same name.-Location:...
and did pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
work in the diocese of Veszprém from 1934 until 1944. He served as private secretary
Private Secretary
In the United Kingdom government, a Private Secretary is a civil servant in a Department or Ministry, responsible to the Secretary of State or Minister...
to future Cardinal József Mindszenty, who was at that time Bishop of Veszprém. He was imprisoned in a Nazi prison from November 1944 to February 1945. He was appointed a Privy chamberlain supernumerary
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
on 22 January 1946.
Episcopate
He was appointed titularTitular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular bishop", "titular metropolitan", or "titular archbishop"....
Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Giro di Tarasio and appointed apostolic administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
, ad nutum Sanctæ Sedis, of Veszprém in 1972. He was appointed as Apostolic administrator of Esztergom
Esztergom
Esztergom , is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there....
on February 5, 1974. Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
appointed him to the metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
and primatial see
Primate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
of Esztergom in 1976.
Cardinalate
Pope Paul VI created him Cardinal-Priest of S. Teresa al Corso d'Italia in the consistoryConsistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of May 24, 1976. He took part in the conclave
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
of August 25 to 26, 1978
Papal conclave, 1978 (August)
The Papal conclave of August 1978, the first of the two conclaves held in the year 1978, was convoked after the death of Pope Paul VI on August 6 at Castel Gandolfo. After the cardinal electors assembled in Rome, they elected Cardinal Albino Luciani, then Patriarch of Venice, as the new pope...
and in the conclave of October 14 to 16, 1978
Papal conclave, 1978 (October)
The Papal conclave of October 1978 was triggered by the sudden death, after only thirty-three days in office, of Pope John Paul I on September 28. When the cardinals elected John Paul I on August 26, they expected he would reign for at least a decade. Instead they found themselves having to elect...
.