Slovak Government Dismisses State Secretary of Culture Over Proposal to Crown Christ as King of Slovakia
The Slovak government has supported the proposal by Minister of Culture Martina Shimkovichova to dismiss the State Secretary of the Ministry, Stefan Kuffa. During a government meeting, a point was raised without further explanation, requesting Kuffa to leave the ministry.
This development follows Kuffa's recent controversial statement on behalf of the Ministry of Culture. 'On behalf of the Ministry of Culture, we promise that we will be the ones to initiate the swift enthronement of Christ the King as the ruler of Slovakia,' he declared on November 13 at the opening of the Trnava Mass during the week-long Catholic festival honoring the Trnava Virgin Mary.
According to Pravda.sk, a personal dispute arose between Kuffa and Shimkovichova after this statement due to Kuffa's overly free expressions and lack of control. Following his dismissal, the government appointed him as the State Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, where his son already serves as the state secretary.
Minister of the Environment Tomas Taraba stated that the transition of Kuffa was his idea to unite party representatives in ministries. Both Taraba and Kuffa represent the far-right Slovak National Party.
Taraba emphasized that there were no other reasons for Kuffa's removal from the position of State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture. 'If there was a problem, we wouldn't transfer it to another ministry. The only reason is that we want to have fully engaged state secretaries. This enhances the efficiency of ministry work,' said Taraba.
Earlier, State Secretary Kuffa publicly promised during the Trnava novena's introductory Mass, representing the Ministry of Culture, that they would initiate the enthronement of Christ as the King of Slovakia. He also addressed the attending bishops, asking them to consecrate Slovakia to Christ the King in the presence of the entire government and all bishops.
The Conference of Bishops of Slovakia distanced itself from Kuffa's words, stating in a release that the church is a place of prayer and should not be a venue for divisive calls. Following this, Minister of Culture Martina Shimkovichova (SNS candidate) stated that they discussed the matter with Kuffa, and the ministry would not pursue such an initiative, emphasizing that it is beyond the competence of the Ministry of Culture.