Churches view settlement as step to independence from state

Prague, Feb 22 (CTK) - Representatives of churches in the Czech Republic view Friday's signing of the financial settlement contracts with the state as a clear step towards the independence of churches from the state, they told CTK after the signature ceremony.

Church dignitaries said they believe that the property to be returned to churches will be a contribution not only to the churches and believers but mainly to the broad public.

For example, the newly-signed contracts have unblocked the property of towns and regions, which formerly belonged to churches and which will serve citizens now, the church representatives said.

Under the law that the Chamber of Deputies passed last November, churches are to be returned land and real estate, confiscated from them by the communist regime, worth 75 billion and given 59 billion crowns plus inflation in financial compensation for the property that cannot be returned, which belongs to non-state owners such as town and regions, during the following 30 years.

At the same time the payment of state subsidies they now receive will be gradually stopped.

Prime Minister Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) signed the contracts on the financial compensation with representatives of 16 churches Friday in spite of strong protests of the opposition and although the Constitutional Court (US) is yet to decide on the three complaints challenging the church restitution.

The media were denied access to the contract signature, allegedly at the request of some of the churches involved.

This, however, was dismissed by Ecumenical Council of Churches head Joel Ruml later Friday. He said the event's course was fully determined by the government protocol.

"The government and the state hosted the event. We were the guests, and guests behave depending on the conditions offered and prepared by the host," Ruml, head of the Czech Brethren Church, said.

However, none of the church dignitaries involved attended the press conference following the ceremony. Journalists did not have a chance of addressing them on either their arrival in or their departure from the Government Office.

Ruml told CTK later Friday that now that the contracts are signed, the churches would raise no more claims towards the Czech state.

On the contrary, the state has recognised all wrongs inflicted on churches under the communist regime. "It is a step towards a modern relation between the state and churches and religious groups, which is neutral in terms of denomination," Ruml said.

The Roman Catholic Czech Bishops' Conference (CBK) says it is good for the society if church institutions are economically independent.

The property settlement will enable churches to further develop their services to the public, such as building hospices, and carrying out health and educational projects, the CBK said in a press statement.

The contract signing is "the basis for the stabilisation of the relations to the property that will not be returned to churches," said the CBK, whose head, Prague Archbishop Cardinal Dominik Duka, attended the ceremony Friday.

The Jewish Communities' Federation secretary Tomas Kraus said he considers the previous passage of the church restitution law more important than Friday's contract signing, in view of the crucial separation of the churches from the state.

"To date, [state-church] relations have been determined by the law from 1949 that [the then ruling Communists] formulated shortly after [their takeover in] February 1948 so that the regime came fully in control [of churches and religious groups]...," Kraus said.

($=19.334 crowns)