Roman Catholic Cardinal. Zasliai born Vincentas Sladkevicius came from a family of farmers. Entering the diocesan seminary of Kaunas, he furthered his studies at the theological faculty of Kaunas, being ordained priest on March 25, 1944. Rendering pastoral ministry in the diocese of Kaišiadorys between 1944 and 1959, he also served as faculty member and prefect of studies and discipline at the named diocesan seminary of Kaunas. Named auxiliary for the see of Kaišiadorys at the early age of thirty seven, he received his episcopal consecration with the titular see of Abora on December 25, 1957, in Birstone from Msgr. Teofilius Matulionis, archbishop of Kaišiadorys. Named auxiliary 'sedi datus' in 1963, impeded from exercising his ministry by the Communist Government, he resided in Neumunelio Radviliskis under virtual house arrest from 1963 until 1982, when he was appointed apostolic administrator 'ad nutum Sanctae Sedis' of Kašiadorys on July 15 of that year. Named president of the Episcopal Conference of Lithuania on April 27, 1988, Pope John Paul II created him cardinal priest in the consistory of June 28, 1988 with the title of Spirito Santo alla Ferratella, promoting him to the metropolitan see of Kaunas on March 10, 1989. Joining the Congregation of the Marian Clerics of the Immaculate Conception in 1993, he retired from the pastoral government of the archdiocese on May 4, 1996. Cardinal Sladkevicius died on May 28, 2000 in Kaunas and was laid to rest in the local cathedral on the following June 1. A deeply appreciated man, who openly battled for church rights when Lithuania was under Soviet control with quiet determination and modest bearing, the Cardinal remains to this day one of the country's most appreciated sons, with monuments in his memory erected across Lithuania along with edifices, squares, roads carrying his name, with the Republic of Lithuania issuing a 50 litas commemorative coin in 2005. There is the intention of having the cause of his beatification introduced.
Roman Catholic Cardinal. Zasliai born Vincentas Sladkevicius came from a family of farmers. Entering the diocesan seminary of Kaunas, he furthered his studies at the theological faculty of Kaunas, being ordained priest on March 25, 1944. Rendering pastoral ministry in the diocese of Kaišiadorys between 1944 and 1959, he also served as faculty member and prefect of studies and discipline at the named diocesan seminary of Kaunas. Named auxiliary for the see of Kaišiadorys at the early age of thirty seven, he received his episcopal consecration with the titular see of Abora on December 25, 1957, in Birstone from Msgr. Teofilius Matulionis, archbishop of Kaišiadorys. Named auxiliary 'sedi datus' in 1963, impeded from exercising his ministry by the Communist Government, he resided in Neumunelio Radviliskis under virtual house arrest from 1963 until 1982, when he was appointed apostolic administrator 'ad nutum Sanctae Sedis' of Kašiadorys on July 15 of that year. Named president of the Episcopal Conference of Lithuania on April 27, 1988, Pope John Paul II created him cardinal priest in the consistory of June 28, 1988 with the title of Spirito Santo alla Ferratella, promoting him to the metropolitan see of Kaunas on March 10, 1989. Joining the Congregation of the Marian Clerics of the Immaculate Conception in 1993, he retired from the pastoral government of the archdiocese on May 4, 1996. Cardinal Sladkevicius died on May 28, 2000 in Kaunas and was laid to rest in the local cathedral on the following June 1. A deeply appreciated man, who openly battled for church rights when Lithuania was under Soviet control with quiet determination and modest bearing, the Cardinal remains to this day one of the country's most appreciated sons, with monuments in his memory erected across Lithuania along with edifices, squares, roads carrying his name, with the Republic of Lithuania issuing a 50 litas commemorative coin in 2005. There is the intention of having the cause of his beatification introduced.
Bio by: Eman Bonnici
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