Pope Francis described the late Cardinal Josef Tomko as "a precious and wise brother who served the Gospel and the Church with humility and renunciation." He said this in a condolence telegram addressed on Monday to Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice. TASR quotes from the telegram published on the official website of the Holy See. The Pope expressed his condolences to Tomko's family, clergy and all the religious people in Slovakia. "I recall with gratitude his long and fruitful work at the Holy See, I also think of his spirit of prayer, which I witnessed when, even at an advanced age, he prayed the Holy Rosary every day in St Peter's Square, giving beautiful and public witness to pilgrims and tourists alike of his love for the Virgin Mary," the Pope wrote in the telegram. The head of the Catholic Church gave his blessing to the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, who cared for Tomko. Several Slovak politicians also reacted to the death of Cardinal Jozef Tomko. President Zuzana Čaputová wrote on a social network that with his passing we are losing a man who always remembered Slovakia and its interests, who helped many people fleeing from the communist regime and who gave us optimism and hope that we can overcome all crises until the last moments of his fulfilled life. Prime Minister Eduard Heger said that the Cardinal had become an important personality over the years of his life, with an influence not only on Slovak but also on the worldwide Church. He expressed his sincere condolences to the Cardinal's surviving family. He deserves enormous thanks and appreciation for his service. Jozef Tomko's lifelong work and personality was also honoured by the political parties For the People and the Sme rodina movement. Jozef Tomko was the oldest member of the College of Cardinals. He died on Monday at 5 a.m. in his apartment in Rome.
Source: TASR
