Rome, Italy, Apr 17, 2010 / 18:05 pm
Jesuit Cardinal Tomas Spidlik of the Czech Republic died on Friday evening in Rome at the age of 90. The prelate, who was remembered by the Holy Father affectionately on Saturday, leaves a legacy of publications and work to promoting unity between eastern and western Christians.
In his long life, the cardinal was a professor, theologian, writer and academic, who was also involved in radio. According to a biography from the Centro Aletti, a John Paul II inaugurated center founded within the Pontifical Oriental Institute to promote Christianity in Eastern Europe, Cardinal Spidlik had an extraordinary ability to engage an audience and made great steps to developing eastern Christian spirituality.
The "Centro," of which he formed a part, describes him as "one of the greatest experts of the spirituality of eastern Christianity today."
In a telegram to Superior General of the Jesuits on Saturday, Pope Benedict XVI expressed the "strong emotion" he felt upon learning of the cardinal's "pious departure."