Josef Zvěřina

ks. Josef Zvěřina (born May 3, 1913 in Střítež, Moravia, August 18, 1990 in Nettuno, Italy) is a Catholic priest, theologian and philosopher, Charter 77 signatory. Curriculum vitae

He studied theology at the Pontifical Lateran Athenian in Rome. There he was ordained a priest on July 11, 1937. From 1938 to 1942 he worked in parishes in Pilsen and Prague. In 1942 he was interned by the Gestapo. At the end of World War II, he became the pastor of the parish of Św. Nicholas in Prague. Between 1946 and 1947 he studied history and archeology in Prague. In 1948 he began work at the theological faculty of Charles University in Prague, dealing with archeology and Christian art. On June 18, 1950 he defended his doctoral thesis at the University. After completing the faculty, he served thirteen months of military service. On January 24, 1952 he was arrested and sentenced to 22 years imprisonment for "espionage" and "treason". He was released in December 1965. He worked physically for the next three years. During the Prague Spring, he published the theological letter "Via" with Oto Mádrem. He was involved in the informal initiative of the Council for the Restoration of the Council (Dílo koncilové obnovy DKO), which aimed at the reception of the Second Vatican Council in the Czech Church. In 1969 he worked for several months at the Theological Seminary of Cyril and Methodius in Litomierzyce (transferred there after the liquidation of the Faculty of Theology at Charles University), where he habilitated. From 1970 to 1974 he was parish priest in the parish of Praskolesy. Then he was deprived of the state's permission to perform the priestly ministry and was forced to early retirement. He actively supported the underground church, riding the country with lectures and conferences. He was a signatory to the founding charter of the Charter 77. Initially, he was critical of the overly cautious attitude of Cardinal František Tomášek towards independent initiatives. However, in the 1980s he was one of the closest advisers to the Cardinal alongside Oto Mádra and Tomáš Halák and influenced his openness to the aspirations of the liberty of Czech Catholics. In 1988 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Tübingen. In 1990 he became honorary Dean of the Rectorate Faculty of Theology at Charles University, but as a result of disagreements within the faculty he had little influence over the work of the university. In the same year he founded and became the first president of the Czech Christian Academy. He died suddenly during his visit to Italy. In 1991 he was posthumously awarded the Masaryk Order. Bibliography

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