Appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Prešov of the Byzantines, Slovakia

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Fr. Jozef Jonáš Maxim, hegumen of the Univ Studite Lavra, Ukraine, as metropolitan archbishop of Prešov of the Byzantines, Slovakia.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Jozef Jonáš Maxim was born in Levoča, Slovakia, on 21 November 1974. He received his formation the Greek-Catholic Faculty of Theology in Prešov and was ordained a priest on 11 July 1998.

After receiving the title of Magister in theology (1998), he commenced his studies in the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, where he was awarded a licentiate (2000). From 2001 to 2004 he was spiritual father of the Prešov Seminary and, from 2002 to 2004, he taught as an assistant to the Chair in systematic theology at the University of Prešov. In 2004 he entered the novitiate of the Studite Lavra of Univ, Ukraine, and on 22 May 2008 he received the lesser Schema.

From 2008 to 2009 he was a member of the novitiate of Univ, and subsequently superior of the hermitage of Saint Andrew in Lužki. In 2010 he was appointed master of novices until his election as superior of the Monastery of Saint Joseph in Lviv, a role he held until 2013. From 2013 to 2017 he concluded his doctoral studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, with a thesis on Studite monasticism. Upon returning to Ukraine, he was superior of the Monastery of Saint Michael in Lviv, and parish priest of the local community. In 2020 he was elected hegumen of the Lavra of Univ.

Besides Slovak and Ukrainian, he speaks Italian, English, Russian, French, Polish and German.