Sviatostná pastorácia katolíckych vojenských duchovných v Technickej brigáde a 2. technickej divízii na talianskom fronte v rokoch 1943 – 1945
Sacramental pastoral work of Catholic military clergy in the Technical Brigade and 2nd Technical Division on the Italian front in 1943 – 1945

Summary/Abstract: The geopolitical situation of Europe during the war years brought units of the Slovak army from the Eastern Front to the Apennine Peninsula. In Catholic Italy, the conditions for the pastoral care of Slovak troops were much more appropriate than in the USSR. The ministry of the word, the eucharist, or the sacrament of reconciliation were offered by Catholic military clergy to the local believers as well. Unlike the campaign against the USSR, there was no ban on worship for civilians in Italy. It is also true that Slovak soldiers and their clergy of local masses were more frequent than vice versa. The masses were moved in order to follow, military forms, and in churches the soldiers stood whole and very often sang Slovak liturgical chants. At the same time, the Slovaks had their organist, who provided suitable musical accompaniment to Holy Mass. This revived the religious life of the parishes in towns where Slovak soldiers were active and Italian churches were filled with large numbers. Although it happened that the Slovak soldier behaved inappropriately in public, in the eyes of local residents, this was wiped out by participating in Holy Mass and singing the Mass in Slovak.

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