Current Affairs President Klaus rejects Czech-Vatican draft treaty
Czech President Vaclav Klaus has rejected a draft treaty between Prague and the Holy See, which defines the status of the Roman Catholic Church in the Czech Republic. This makes the Czech Republic the only post-Communist state not to have such an agreement with the Vatican. In a letter addressed to Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda, who has been leading negotiations with the Vatican, Mr Klaus objected to several terms in the treaty, saying it gives the Catholic Church too high a standing in the Czech Republic. Mr Klaus also opposes a pledge to look for a quick way to settle an open disagreement over church property. The draft treaty, which has already been rejected by the lower house of parliament, will now have to be re-negotiated. As the country is primarily atheist, with less than a quarter of Czechs claiming to be Catholic, it could be a long time before an agreement is reached that is suitable to all. Dita Asiedu spoke to Ivana Noble from the Ecumenical Institute of the Protestant Theological Faculty of Charles University:
Vaclav Klaus
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