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 Catholic Church in the Czech Republic | |
|---|---|
| Czech:Katolická církev v České republice | |
 Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Brno at night | |
| Type | National polity |
| Classification | Catholic |
| Orientation | Latin andEastern Catholic |
| Scripture | Bible |
| Theology | Catholic theology |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Governance | ČBK |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| President | Jan Graubner |
| Divisions | Archbishop |
| Divisions | Bishop |
| Language | Czech,Latin,Old Church Slavonic |
| Liturgy | Roman Rite,Byzantine Rite |
| Headquarters | Prague |
| Territory | Czech Republic |
| Members | 976,853 (self-identified, 2021)[1] |
TheCatholic Church in theCzech Republic (Czech:Katolická církev v České republice) is part of the worldwideCatholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of thePope,curia inRome, and the Conference of Czech Bishops.
In the 2021 census, 741,000 people identified themselves Roman Catholics, another 8,309 people identified as Greek Catholics, and an additional 236,000 people described themselves as simply Catholics. Together, they represent over 9% of the Czech population. There are eightdioceses including two archdioceses. Additionally, there is a separate jurisdiction for those of theByzantine Rite called theRuthenian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Czech Republic. The Catholic Church is the largest single religious denomination in the country.
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After the death ofJan Hus in 1415, the Czechs were mostlyHussite, a diverse sect which was considered heretical by the Catholic Church. TheHussite wars were fought over religious freedom in Bohemia as five consecutive crusades ordered by the Pope were unsuccessful. The majority of Hussites (theUtraquists) eventually made peace with Rome in theReligious peace of Kutna Hora of 1485. However, theUnity of the Brethren, founded in 1457, maintained a radical course and eventually played an important role in theProtestant Reformation and widely disseminating its principles. By the end of the 16th century, less than 20% of the population remained Catholic. After their defeat in the 1620Battle of the White Mountain, Bohemia and Moravia were subjugated and forcefully re-converted to Catholicism by the imperial authorities, with Protestantism all but vanquished. The Czechs were made once again majority Catholic until after World War I, when anti-Catholicism fed by nationalistanti-German sentiment andnational revival perceiving the Church as historical enemy caused mass defections from the Church.[2]
The 1920 newly constituted Czechoslovak Church (since 1971 known asCzechoslovak Hussite Church) and theCzech Brethren (1918) were major beneficiaries of this defection from Catholicism until after World War II, when the overall belief in organized religion started to fall steeply. In addition, theSudeten Germans, who were thoseAustrians who ended up within Czech borders after World War I, were mostly Catholics, and their expulsion after World War II also reduced the Church's presence. Over 90% Catholic in 1910, the Czech Republic is now reduced to some 10%.
TheCommunist regime, which seized power in 1948 in what was thenCzechoslovakia, confiscated all the property owned by churches and persecuted many priests. Churches were then allowed to function only under the state's strict control and supervision and priests' salaries paid by the state. Churches were seized, priests jailed or executed and those allowed to celebrate liturgies did so under the supervision of the secret police. After theVelvet Revolution, some churches and monasteries were returned, but the churches have since sought to get back other assets such as farms, woodlands and buildings.[3]
During the Communist regime, various underground Catholic movements existed. Among these is the Koinotes group, centered on Bishop Felix Davidek, whose vicar general wasLudmila Javorová, ordained by him to the presbyterate.
In January 2012 the Czech government agreed to pay billions of dollars in compensation for property seized by the former totalitarian regime from the Church.
TheChurch Property Restitution in the Czech Republic Agreement, as the compensation plan was called, has been signed. The process was spread over 30 years. Under the plan, the country's 17 churches, including Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox, would get 56 percent of their former property now held by the state – estimated at 75 billionkoruna ($3.7 billion) – and 59 billion koruna ($2.9 billion) in financial compensation paid to them over the next 30 years. Eighty percent of funds and property will go the Catholic Church, by far the biggest recipient. The state will also gradually stop covering their expenses over the next 17 years.
In 2008, a similar bill was approved by the government but Parliament rejected it.[4][5]
About 200 of the Czech Republic's 1,370 priests are from neighbouring Poland.[6]
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