László Lékai

The native form of this personal name is Lékai László. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

László Lékai (12 March 1910 – 30 June 1986) was Archbishop of Esztergom and a Cardinal.

His Eminence László Lékai
Cardinal, Archbishop of Esztergom Primate of Hungary
Church	Roman Catholic
Archdiocese	Esztergom
Installed	1976
Term ended	30 June 1986
Predecessor	József Mindszenty
Successor	László Paskai
Other post(s)	Cardinal-Priest of Santa Teresa al Corso d’Italia
Previous post(s)	Apostolic Administrator of Veszprém (1972-1976)
Orders
Ordination	28 October 1934
Consecration	16 March 1972
Created cardinal	24 May 1976 by Paul VI
Rank	Cardinal
Personal details
Born	(1910-03-12)12 March 1910[1] Zalalövő, Hungary, Austria-Hungary
Died	30 June 1986(1986-06-30) (aged 76) Esztergom, Hungary
Nationality	Hungarian
Coat of arms

Styles of László Lékai
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Esztergom

He was ordained to the priesthood on 28 September 1934. He served as a faculty member at the Seminary of Veszprém and did pastoral work in the diocese of Veszprém from 1934 until 1944. He served as private secretary to the future Cardinal József Mindszenty, who was at that time Bishop of Veszprém. He was imprisoned in a Nazi prison from November 1944 to February 1945. He was appointed a Privy chamberlain supernumerary on 22 January 1946.

Episcopate

He was appointed titular Bishop of Giro di Tarasio and appointed apostolic administrator, ad nutum Sanctæ Sedis, of Veszprém in 1972. He was appointed as Apostolic administrator of Esztergom on 5 February 1974. Pope Paul VI appointed him to the metropolitan and primatial see of Esztergom in 1976.^{[citation needed]}

Cardinalate

Pope Paul VI created him Cardinal-Priest of S. Teresa al Corso d'Italia in the consistory of 24 May 1976.^[2] He took part in the conclave of 25 to 26 August 1978 and in the conclave of 14 to 16 October 1978.

Sources

• Gabriel Adriányi: The Ostpolitik of the Vatican 1958–1978 against Hungary. The case Cardinal Mindszenty. Schäfer, Herne 2003.