Venerable Zoltán Meszlényi

Zoltán Lajos Meszlényi was a Hungarian Catholic bishop, born in Hatvan on 2 January 1892. He died in prison on 4 March 1951 at Kistarcsa, Hungary. His death is recognised as martyrdom by the Catholic Church. He was beatified on 31 October 2009. Zoltán Lajos Meszlényi the second child of five was born on 2 January 1892 in Hatvan near Budapest. His parents were Zoltán Meszlényi and Etel Burszky. The father at first was a teacher in a Catholic school, later he became school principal in Budapest. Here Zoltán went in Esztergom to gimnazy and to seminary. He arrived in Rome in 1909. Here became a student of the Pontifical German-Hungarian Institute. The seminarians completed their theological studies in the Gregorian Pontifical University (Gregoriana). He spoke Latin, Italian, German, English and French well, and while he was in Rome he further perfected his Ancient Greek and Latin and knew a little Spanish and Slovak. Finally, he achieved a doctorate in philosophy 1912. At the same time, in 1913, he also gained a diploma in theology at the Gregorian University. He finished his Canon Law studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University and obtained a degree. After his ordination in Innsbruck 28 October 1915 Cardinal János Csernoch (1912–1927), The Primate of Hungary, named Zoltán Meszlényi pastoral assistant in Komárom. Not long after he transferred him to Esztergom to fundamental services. Zoltán Meszlényi had chronic heart and thyroid problems. However, he was cured during the period between 21 May and 28 June 1937. In that time the Apostolic Nuntiature in Hungary communicated to Cardinal Serédi that the nomination of Zoltán Meszlényi as titular bishop of Sinope and coadjutor of Esztergom had been officially confirmed by Cardinal Domenico Tardini in Rome. The Episcopal ordination took place in the Basilica of Esztergom on 28 October 1937 – his priestly ordination's 22nd anniversary. The ordination was presided by Cardinal Jusztinián Serédi.