Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the Battle Between Church and State
for St. Vitus Cathedral
There's no question that St. Vitus Cathedral is close to the
hearts of Czechs. But in recent years controversy has erupted
over just what aspect of the national spirit the cathedral
embodies.
The cathedral was nationalized in the 1950s, and was
managed by the Czech government for the next several
decades. But in 1993—after the fall of communism—the
Church began vying with the state for property rights. Since
this building holds such symbolic value for the Czechs, it's not
just the keys to the country's most precious artwork at stake.
Those who wanted the cathedral to remain state-owned
pointed out that it was the king, not the Church, who com-
missioned the cathedral, and that its completion in the 19th
century was inspired more by patriotism than by religious
fervor. The Church, however, pointed out the cathedral's role
as a pilgrimage site, arguing that it should be dedicated to
prayer. In 2006, the Czech courts ruled in the Church's favor
(and against public opinion).
The Church has been cash-strapped since the fall of
communism. While the state returned thousands of deterio-
rating chapels throughout the country to the Church, it didn't
return ownership of the lands that once provided the rev-
enue for maintenance. So, perhaps understandably, once the
keys changed hands, the Church looked for an easy source
of cash. Hoping that the throngs of cathedral visitors would
help them bring new life to neglected rural chapels, Church
leaders immediately imposed a 100-Kč entrance fee. Some
accused them of greediness. But before the coins had filled a
single coffer, in 2008 the Supreme Court overruled the deci-
sion and returned the cathedral to the state (which made the
entrance free).
of the European Union and denunciation of the campaign against
global warming (the reality of which he denies). In the fall of 2007,
Klaus—who in his most recent book argues that “environmental
hysteria” fundamentally endangers the freedom of the individ-
ual—became the face of an ExxonMobil-sponsored campaign in
the American media that preceded a UN conference on global
w a r m i n g .
As you walk through another passageway, you'll find yourself
facing...
sss
St. Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála Sv. Víta)
—he Roman
Catholic cathedral symbolizes the Czech spirit—it contains the
tombs and relics of the most important local saints and kings,
including the first three Habsburg kings.
