Osijek, July 7, 2003 (IKA/BTU) – On Sunday, July 6, at 4:50 a.m. at the Clinical Hospital in Osijek, Bishop Emeritus Ciril Kos of Đakovo and Srijem died at the age of 84, after 59 years as a priest and 30 years as a bishop. The Requiem Mass and funeral ceremony will be held on Tuesday, July 8, 3 p.m., at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Peter in Đakovo.
Bishop Ciril Kos was born on November 19, 1919 in Ribić Brijeg near Ivanec. He completed secondary school in Široki Brijeg and theology at the school of theology in Đakovo. On July 9, 1944, he was ordained a priest in Ðakovo. From August 1944 until the end of October of the same year, he performed the duties of parochial vicar in Srijemska Mitrovica. He was subsequently appointed to administer the parish in Srijemska Mitrovica and the next year named parochial vicar of the same parish. From 1946 to 1951, he was the pastor of the parish of St. Mark the Evangelist in Trnjani. From 1951 to 1959, he was the spiritual advisor of the seminary in Ðakovo. In 1959, he was arrested by the communist authorities and sentenced. From October 5, 1959 to April 5, 1962, he served his prison sentence in Osijek and Stara Gradiška. From 1962 to 1973, he was secretary of the diocesan ordinariate in Ðakovo. From 1973 to 1974, he served as vicar capitular. On February 6, 1974, he was appointed bishop of Ðakovo and Srijem and ordained diocesan bishop on March 17, 1974. In the Croatian Conference of Bishops, he performed various services, of which the most significant was his many years as president of the Council for Catechesis. He served as the diocesan bishop of Đakovo and Srijem until February 6, 1997, when the administration of the diocese was taken over by Bishop Marin Srakić. Since Bishop Kos’ retirement, he continued to live at the Bishop’s Residence in Đakovo and participate actively in the life of the diocese that he had led as diocesan bishop for 23 years.