Benemerenti was awarded by Pope Leo XIV. Anna Vargová from Nitra. She received the award for services to the church during the period of communist totality. Nitra Bishop Viliam Judák presented her with the papal award, the Diocese of Nitra informed.
- Pope Leo XIV awarded Anne Varga of Nitra the Benemerenti award.
- Anna Vargová helped persecuted priests and religious during the communist totalitarianism.
- In the house of the Bencov family in Nitra, secret holy masses were celebrated.
- Pavel Benec was sentenced as a political prisoner to protect his family.
- The Benemerenti award was originally created as a papal military award for bravery.
Anna Vargová participated in helping priests and religious who were persecuted by the then communist regime. Among them were Vincentians and Lazarists Rudolf Púchovský, Štefan Krištín and Ľudovít Orješek, theologians Ján Havlík, Anton Havlík, Bohuslav Pikala, Vladimír Slávik, Vojtech Krištín and Milan Faško Kaclík.
In the house of the Bencov family in Nitra na Chrenová, these priests celebrated a secret holy mass every day, where As a little girl, Anna was present at them, helped in their proceedings or ministered. As a child, she discreetly made a secret connection between religious priests and religious sisters in the hospital in Nitra.
After revealing the hidden priests, they imprisoned her 62-year-old father Pavle Benac and sentenced him to 15 months as a political prisoner. He took all the blame, thus protecting his wife and Anna’s mother from being accused of complicity and the subsequent conviction. Before the beatification of Ján Havlík, Vargová was one of the witnesses of the beatification process.
Anna Vargová, who received the award, dedicated the award to her parents Pavlo and Helena Bencovac. She pointed out the meaning and significance of this action in the period of communist totality, and called it important even for the present as one of the examples of loyalty and enduring suffering for the faith.
Benemerenti (For Merit) is a meritorious papal award. Today’s medal has its origins in various traditions of papal awards called Benemerenti or Bene Merenti. It was originally established as a decoration for soldiers of the papal army for bravery. It is currently a civilian award, but can still be awarded to members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard.
