Czech Cardinal Miloslav Vlk still believes that the Czech Republic should ratify its treaty with the Vatican in the version that has been agreed on, which his spokesman Ales Pistora means that he rejects any debate of the two sides on a new wording. Vlk wrote on his web pages that "the Vatican considers the treaty to have been agreed on and that it is a matter for our parliament now."
Vlk reacted to Czech President Vaclav Klaus's recent visit to the Vatican.
According to Klaus's aides, Klaus thinks that the parliament must find agreement and a strong majority to pass such a treaty.
Klaus made it previously clear that he is opposed to the agreed text.
The draft treaty that has been waiting for ratification in the Czech Republic for several years is to define the position of the Roman Catholic and Graeco Catholic churches in the country. The Vatican has approved it already.
Vlk wrote Klaus should have been a little bit more concrete when he discussed relations between the two countries with Vatican representatives last Saturday.
"We do not learn much from the general formulations. It is difficult to talk about flexibility since the Vatican considers the treaty to have been agreed on," Vlk said.
He said property settlement between the Czech state and churches has not been attained as yet "even though the church has taken maximally accommodating steps," Vlk wrote.
The treaty was signed in 2002, but the Chamber of Deputies rejected the draft document one year later.
The deputies said the draft treaty is disadvantageous for the state and that it violates the equality of churches.
Klaus also said years ago that he would not sign the draft since it would give too many privileges to the Catholic Church.
Pope Benedict XVI is to arrive in the Czech Republic in end-September.
Czech ambassador to the Vatican Pavel Vosalik said recently the visit is "by no means" conditioned by progress made in the negotiations on church property in the Czech Republic and progress in the ratification of the treaty with the Vatican.
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