Church in the World

State takes back St Vitus cathedral

Czech Republic

The Czech Catholic Church has handed over Prague cathedral to the state after a February court ruling overturned the Church's ownership, writes Jonathan Luxmoore.

The Gothic St Vitus cathedral, which dominates the Prague skyline, was founded in 1344 by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and nationalised under a 1954 Communist decree. Although it was returned to the Church in 1994, Czech MPs launched a series of appeals.

In its February ruling, the Supreme Court cancelled a June 2006 municipal court decision recognising the Church as legal owner. However, a Catholic lawyer, Petr Zdercik, told Prague Radio that church leaders were ready to go to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The Czech bishops' conference spokesman, Jiri Gracka, told The Tablet: "Though deprived of ownership, the Church will still hold services in the cathedral, but the legal process has to start all over again." Prague's district court is to begin hearing a fresh church claim to the cathedral on 3 May.

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