77th plenary meeting of the Czech Bishops' Conference ended

On Jul 2-4, 2009 the 77th plenary meeting of the Czech Bishops' Conference took place in Velehrad, with the participation of 16 bishops and representatives of religious orders. A program of the papal visit to the Czech Republic was released by the Holy See on Jul 3 and presented during the bishops' session.

Velehrad: The meeting of Czech bishops was opened by Archbishop Jan Graubner, president of the Czech Bishops' Conference, on Thursday evening, Jul 2. The meditation had been prepared by Bishop Karel Herbst, auxiliary of Prague. As the basis for his words he took the final appeal of the Matthew's gospel, directed to us all: 'Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.' In the context of the conclusion of the Pauline Year, Bishop Herbst noted that during his life, the apostle was 'interested in nothing but service to our Lord, longing 'to save at least some'.' He then underlined that we are still being confronted with the fact that many resist accepting the God's truth, they distance from the Church and are afraid to leave the safety of this world.

Following Bishop Herbst's meditation was Bishop Dominik Duka of Hradec Kralove, who offered some information about the Church in the today's world. He noted some cases of militant atheism in the world as well as in our country and said that in Benedict XVI's new encyclical Caritas in Veritate he saw a response to the global economic crisis. He considered necessary to apply the social doctrine of the Church more. Following the Year for Priests that had just begun he suggested to pay more attention to prominent personalities among priests as well as to the role of priests and their mission within the society.

Bishop Ladislav Hucko, secretary general of the Czech Bishops' Conference, informed about his journey to Brussels on Jun 26-28 on the occasion of the conclusion of the Czech presidency to EU, having been invited by the Slovak Catholic Mission that takes care of the Czechs as well. Bishop Hucko met Slovakian eurocommissioner Jan Figel, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Belgium Vladimir Muller and Ambassadress of the Czech Republic to EU Milada Vicenova. He underlined that the Church pursues eternal, not just temporary aims. In Luxembourg and Brussels he had celebrated the Mass for Czech Catholics. The topic of pastoral care of the Czechs living abroad was mentioned also by Bishop Petr Esterka, auxiliary of Brno.

On Friday, Jul 3, the Press Office of the Holy See released a detailed schedule of the apostolic journey of Pope Benedict XVI to the Czech Republic on Sep 26-28, 2009. Bishop Vaclav Maly, auxiliary of Prague and coordinator of the journey, informed about the current state of preparations.

During their sessions, bishops assented the statutes and rules of the Pontifical College Nepomucenum in Rome and discussed, among others, conception of the pastoral care of the sick and of the armed forces.

Concluding the second day of the plenary, bishops of the Czech Republic celebrated together the Mass at the St Anthony's hill near Blatnice pod sv. Antoninkem. Some 2,000 people, gathered in front of the pilgrimage church to take part in the Eucharistic celebration, welcomed with applause cardinals and bishops – besides Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, archbishop of Prague, there was also Cardinal Jozef Tomko, who was to celebrate the National Pilgrimage to Ss Cyril and Methodius in Velehrad on Jul 5. Before the Mass, bishops visited the cemetery in Ostrozska Lhota to pray at the tomb of Servant of God Father Antonin Suranek, longstanding spiritual of the priestly seminary in Olomouc.

On Saturday, Jul 4, the Czech Bishops' Conference's meeting was attended by Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic Archbishop Diego Causero, who spoke about the importance of the upcoming papal visit for the Church as well as for the society and appreciated the preparations that had been done so far.