Czech bishops drop demands for property, will negotiate compensation

Published: 2004-07-20

OXFORD, England (CNS) -- Catholic bishops in the Czech Republic have dropped demands for the return of communist-seized church properties and will instead negotiate state compensation, said a church official. "This isn't a retreat -- it's a sign of willingness to move forward," said Lawrence Cada, spokesman for the Prague-based Czech bishops' conference. "Until now, some bishops have insisted they'll accept nothing less than a complete legal restitution. The progressive wing of bishops has now persuaded more conservative colleagues they shouldn't be so stubborn," he said. In a July 16 Catholic News Service interview, Cada said the bishops had agreed to back the proposed compensation fund, which would include income generated by former church-owned lands and properties. "We're still talking -- no decisions have been made about who'll manage the fund and how much of church finances it will cover," Cada told CNS.

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