Most Czechs are against return of property to churches

Prague, Oct 23 (CTK) - Most Czechs expect churches to provide spiritual support and charity, but they are opposed to the return of property to them, according to a poll conducted by the CVVM public opinion institute in September and released Tuesday.

Only one-sixth of Czechs are for the state-church property settlement.

Some 67 percent are of the view that churches are needed as spiritual support, while 59 percent believe it is their task to care for the ill and elderly and 50 percent believe that they should also care for the poor.

Two-fifths of Czechs are of the opinion that churches are needed for good ethic in society.

However, only every fourth Czech is of the view that they are necessary for good upbringing and education of children.

Only 16 percent of Czechs agree with the bill on property settlement with churches, while 65 percent are opposed to it.

Some 63 percent agreed with the notion that churches should not be returned any property beyond the framework released in the past.

One-third said they should be returned what they had been confiscated after the 1948 Communist coup.

Some 12 percent said they should be given back even the property confiscated before 1948.

Almost one-fifth of Czechs are of the view that churches should be returned all the immovable assets, while 17 percent of them said they should be also paid some financial compensation for the assets that cannot be returned.

Most Czechs are opposed to the idea that the state has some financial obligations to the churches and should pay money to them.

About 29 percent of Czechs voiced the view that the confiscation of church property after the Communist take-over was fair.

The same proportion of Czechs believes that the return of the property is a moral duty of Czech society, while the opposite view is held by 60 percent.

Two-thirds of Czechs are convinced that it was disputable whether churches ever really owned the property.

Church-goers and voters of right-wing parties tend to be more in favour of the return of property than the rest.

Under the government bill, churches are to be returned land and real estate worth 75 billion and given 59 billion crowns in financial compensation for unreturned property during the following 30 years. The largest sum, 47 billion crowns, would go to the Roman Catholic Church.

The state is to gradually cease financing the churches. The transitional period is to last 17 years.

The left-wing opposition has sharply criticised the government-proposed property return to the churches, especially the financial compensation. Moreover, several civic groups protest against the bill. Public opinion polls have showed that a majority of Czechs are also against it.