The government is to return one-third of the religious property confiscated by the Communist government in 1948, under a new resolution being discussed, iDNES.cz reports. Under an agreement worked out between church and state officials, the government would also pay 267 billion Kč ($15 billion) over 60 years for the balance of property it holds, iDNES.cz reports.Church and state officials have had a long-running dispute over the issue.
The present value of property that cannot be returned is 83 billion Kč, but with interest accruing over 60 years, the total returned will be more than three times that amount, iDNES.cz reports.
Much of the property in dispute can’t be returned by the central government because it is owned by individual municipalities.
The government is expected to come out ahead in the deal because the current system of religious subsidie will gradually decrease, according to Culture Minister Václav Jehlička.
More than 80 percent of the money will go to the Roman Catholic Church, which is less than it is officially entitled to, Jehlička said. St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague is not part of the agreement.The government's motion still has to be approved by the Parliament and Senate. At the same time, St. Vitus cathedral, the country’s crown jewel, may pay a symbolic fee of 500 crowns per month in return for security and maintenance costs covered by the government, under an agreement expected to be signed today, Pravo newspaper reports.
The court recently decided that the cathedral belongs to the government, but the church appealed the verdict. The case is to be discussed by a higher-level court again.
Visitors would not pay entrance fees, and the church would not be allowed to profit from the cathedral, under the new agreement.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce