Archbishop Duka on Churches’ Commission Meeting

On Wednesday, July 27, 2011, the heads of the Czech Oecumenical Council of Churches and the Czech Bishops’ Conference met in Prague to decide among some possible solutions prepared by the Church Commision experts for the partial settlement of relationships between the state and churches.

Prague: After the morning meeting on July 27, 2011, the parties reached mutual consent marking up the initial draft. The Church Commission is now expected to implement their suggestions. The proposal of Settlement of Relationships Between the State and Churches is then to be discussed by the Government Commission at the Ministry of Culture at the beginning of August, 2011.

These meetings are to result in a Bill of Settlement to partialy remedy the property injustice done to churches in the Czech Republic in the times of communist oppression. This is to help that in due time, churches may work independent of the state. It will also result in the dissolution of blocking paragraphs so that the property now blocked, which has only been available exceptionally, could be used in favour of all parties involved. Such a solution will be of benefit  not only to all the Association of Towns and Villages, the College of Region Commissioners, the Agrarian Chamber and the Association of Private Agrarians, but also to the whole of the Czech society.