Catholic Church in the Czech Republic Website provided by Czech Bishop Conference

List of Christmas and New Year's masses to be celebrated by Czech bishops and in the cathedrals of Bohemian as well as Moravian Church province on: 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve (Dec 24), Christmas Day (Dec 25), Feast of St Stephen, first martyr (Dec 26), Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs (Dec 28), Feast of the Holy Family (Dec 31), Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and World Day of Peace (Jan 1, 2007), Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (Jan 6), Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Jan 7). Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.

The Christmas Lunch with the poor is a tradition of the Community of Sant'Egidio since 1982. In Brno, the homeless and seniors will be welcomed by the community volunteers on 26 December at 12 am at "Živá voda" Restaurant, run by the Donum Dei missionaries. Bishop Vojtěch Cikrle of Brno will address the present. Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.

At midday today (13 December 2006), the message of Pope Benedict XVI for the 15th World Day of the Sick was made public. The event will be commemorated on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on Sunday 11 February 2007. Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.

Bishop Antal Majnek of Mukachevo, Ukraine, will visit the Czech Republic on 20-22 December 2006 and on Thursday 21 at 5.30 pm he will celebrate the mass at Ss Peter and Paul Cathedral in Brno. His visit is initiated by the Charity Znojmo that helps the Ukrainian children by various projects: children's homes, protected workshop, and transitory home for full-aged children leaving children's home. Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.

The Holy See Press Office released yesterday (12.12.2006) a communiqué on the Holocaust. It is a reaction to a conference held recently in Tehran, Iran. Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.

"Introduction to Christianity" by Joseph Ratzinger – now Pope Benedict XVI – was first published in 1968 and now it is available for the first time in Russian. Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.

Bishop Alejandro Goic Karmelic, the president of the Chilean Bishops' Conference, urged his fellow countrymen to avoid provocations after General Augusto Pinochet's death Sunday. Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.

On Sunday 17 December at 10.30 am, Bishop Karel Herbst of Prague will celebrate the mass at the St Francis of Assisi Church in Prague. He will also bless the bells for the Mother Teresa Community Centre at Prague. Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.

On Sunday 10 December, the rector of the Chaldean Catholic seminary, kidnapped last week, has been released. Another kidnapped Iraqi priest was released recently after being held for 9 days. Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.

In the Lateran Apostolic Palace on Thursday 7 December 2006, Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone inaugurated an exhibition "Habemus Papam. Pontifical elections from St Peter to Benedict XVI", which marks the 500th anniversary of St Peter's Basilica. Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.

Today (11 December) morning in the Holy See Press Office, a press conference was held to present recent archaeological excavations in the Roman basilica of St Paul's Outside-the-Walls that brought to light the sarcophagus of St Paul. Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.

Enclosed you will find a declaration "Common values – the living source of the European project" of the Member Bishops of the COMECE signed on 24 November 2006 and sent today (11 December) to the heads of Member States and to European Authorities. Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.