The faith of a people

“Your visit was successful and will have a long-lasting effect”‘. Czech President Vaclav Klaus thus commented on the three-day visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Czech Republic September 26-28. Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, archbishop of Praha, conveyed to SIR Europe his impressions on the Czech’s people’s experience of the Papal visit.When the visit of Pope Benedict XVI was publicly known, the media depicted the Czech Republic as one of the most secularized and atheist countries in Europe. Even the more serious communication sources granted credit to this idea. Reportedly, the Holy Father himself probably upheld this view. And our own society would have described itself in these terms. But the reality of the Pope’s visit proved them wrong. Indeed, after the fall of Communism our Church, which underwent sever persecutions under the regime, recovered full freedom. But the current situation of the Church in the Czech Republic is very difficult from the political angle. Unsolved problems in Church-State relations include the restitution of ecclesial property confiscated by the Communists over 50 years ago, and that remained under the control of the State, which the Church financially depends on. The law on the Church’s status is unfavorable, while the agreement between the Czech Republic and the Vatican hasn’t been ratified yet. And after 17-year-long-proceedings, the diocesan Cathedral has been returned to State ownership. Our society is experiencing a political and economic crisis. The government has fallen and the current technical government has called – and subsequently postponed – national elections. The Country’s current societal and political situation is the worst since the fall of Communism, and its President holds an adverse attitude towards the Church. Nonetheless the Holy Father courageously decided to visit our local Church. It was clearly a pastoral visit meant to confirm Catholics in their own faith. The commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Communist regime, the canonization of Blessed Agnes, member of the Middle Ages’ Czech royal family, constitutes the political and public aspect of the apostolic visit. Notably, the national feast of Saint Wenceslas, a Christian prince, father of our nation, and first martyr of our Church, whose 1.100° birth anniversary was celebrated recently. His major figure, a venerated saint with a strong spiritual tradition in the Country, bounds the Church to the rest of society. The Pope’s arrival in the Czech Republic was awaited with a certain degree of nervousness and insecurity by the Church and by society, since the Communist rule had promoted negative images of the papal figure. Instead, the President of the Republic received Benedict XVI with respect and with warmth. The media, taken by surprise, underlined the President’s unexpected behavior. Also the large number of attendants in Brno for the Mass officiated for the Republic’s faithful and the Mass for the youth in Stará Boleslav, the place of Saint Wenceslas’ martyrdom, was a pleasant surprise to the Holy Father and to the Czech society, which stopped appearing as a secularized and atheist State. Spiritual and religious adhesion highlighted the presence of inner life, of a living and practiced religion. Participation in the liturgy, carefully prepared, signaled to everyone that the religious situation is starting to change and that there is a future for the Church ‘risen’ on the ashes of Communism. The Holy Father brought to the faithful and to society his message – the thoughts conveyed in the encyclical Caritas in Veritate. His words were granted a warm reception by everyone. The Holy Father illustrated the basic thoughts that are needed for the renewal of the faith across our society. In general, it can be said that the Czech society has accepted this message. Catholic media, along with State television and radio networks, fully covered and transmitted the papal visit. In between, round tables were broadcast with public personalities that conveyed their views to this regard. There were but few negative remarks. A large part of society, including the non-believers and the indifferent, also thanks to the media, took part in the visit’s joyful atmosphere. The Church that had been at the margins of society was once against placed at the centre. This was probably favored by the inner political and economic situation. The great spiritual preparation of the local Church preceded and supported the entire visit of the Holy Father, who brought the preeminent charisma of the spiritual authority of the Church in the contemporary world. There are fruits, let us hope they will bring future developments.