Slovenia

Father of a People

Last May 29th, Fr Vinko Kobal died in Godovic at the age of 73, after a long illness. A great friend of the Movement since the 1960s, he was a crucial figure for the Church in Slovenia, especially during the Cold War years. A testimonial in his memory

BY LUIGI NEGRI

I met Fr Vinko when I was a university student, at a three-day meeting for GS students in Cattolica, Italy, in 1965, and I was his friend until the day he died. He had been introduced to our Movement, which at the time was called Gioventù Studentesca [Student Youth], by the great, unforgettable Fr Francesco Ricci. Ricci was weaving together then, in the tremendous years of the Cold War, a substantial and vital relationship between Christian people and communities on both sides of the Iron Curtain. An enormous mass of documents thus passed over to the West through the pages of CSEO-Documentazione, and testimonies passed through a dense network of “clandestine” meetings.
Fr Vinko was always faithful to our friendship, even when it cost him physically and financially. He came to our meetings, whether of young people or of priests, always bringing someone (student, seminarian, priest…) with him.
And the Lord granted to us to be together in the most important moments of his life: in the birth and development of that great and beautiful Christian movement in Slovenia which he chose to call by the discreet, intense name of “Pot,” meaning, “path.” Fr Vinko invested enormous energy in the birth and growth of a wonderful priestly friendship. Almost thirty years ago, in a makeshift retreat house (a tumbledown farmhouse) I preached my first spiritual retreat to priests, with the real, incumbent danger of being discovered any minute by the political police of the Communist regime.
Fr Vinko generated a Christian people, educated it to a profundity of new and original self-awareness, and gave it a dignity of “presence” that was able to defy, daily, the rigidity and violence of the power structure. Those in power took their revenge in hundreds of ways, from social ostracism to economic pressure, forcing him to live his entire life in a state of poverty which only we friends knew about, but which became wealth distributed generously for the life of the Movement. Those in power tried to kill him with a well-orchestrated “car accident,” which resulted in two broken legs and a long hospital stay. I am still moved when I remember visiting him in a horrible hospital, where he was, even in his physical pain, an impressive “presence,” generating benevolence and peace.
Father of a Christian people, he fostered the generation and education of lay people who earlier actively resisted the dictatorship and are now making their contribution for a freer society, one that is less oppressive of man and his basic rights.
This people and all his friends from various countries in Europe gathered around him for the final farewell. Everyone was there, from his old student who is now President of the Chamber of Deputies of Slovenia, to the elderly ladies of his last little country parish, who were unable to stop their tears from flowing. We gave thanks to Jesus Christ for the gift of His indefatigable witness, who effectively generated traces in the history of the Church and the world.
A faithful friend of Fr Giussani and our people, the enthusiastic follower of Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, a witness to the truth and charity of Christ, he now becomes the protector of our daily journey of faith, hope, and charity.

The Last Letter
On Wednesday, April 25th, I went again with my wife to see Fr Vinko. I found him better than on Monday the 23rd, and it seems that the letter from Fr Giussani which he had Fr Negri read to him gave him new strength. He cannot write yet and so he wanted to record for me his answer to Fr Giussani. Here is the transcript

Claudio Chieffo
Dear Fr Gius: Your letter of last Monday accompanies me here in these hours which are somewhat hard but, when one learns from a teacher as you have been, it is not hard… I have to tell you that I met you the first time in the encounter with your kids from Milan, with Fr Ricci, and ever since that time, I imagined to myself: what will our Father be like? And now I am glad that God has granted me this… miracle.
I entrust myself once again to your prayers so as to be able to offer all that we have to suffer, for our people.
Thank you, many, many thanks, dear Fr Gius.
Vinko

Below is the text of Fr Giussani’s telegram sent for the funeral of Fr Vinko in Lubjiana on May 31st
Fr Vinko is present in us in accordance with the way the Mystery of Christ is present in all those who live faith in Him.
Living to testify this faith in Christ is the measure of the truth and greatness of a man. How great is the existence of Fr Vinko, in which Christ’s Spirit has come to determine the inspiration of every day and the judgment on everything.
We are with you, our brothers: the Mystery of Jesus has reached the heart of our life with that certitude which enables us, in hope, to have a foretaste of His presence every day, every hour.
Fr Luigi Giussani
Milan, May 30, 2001