CZECH CHURCH CONTROL

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25936, 17 October 1949, Page 7

CZECH CHURCH CONTROL

PARLIAMENT PASSES LEGISLATION CREATION OF SPECIAL STATE AGENCY (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON. October 14. The Prague correspondent of the Associated Press says that, on a show of hands, the Communist-dominated Czech Parliament to-day unanimously adopted two bills designed to impose strong State control over all churches, especially the dominant Roman Catholic Church. The measures were:— (1) The Church Control Bill, which makes-all clergymen and bishops civil servants paid by the State, and grants the Government full control over all church appointments, finances, and administrative affairs. (2) A bill for the establishment of a new Cabinet Ministry to supervise church affairs. Both laws will become effective on November 1. The Parliamentary vote was preceded by two hours of speeches criticising the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Hierarchy in Czechoslovakia. The attack was led by the Communist Minister of Justice (Dr. Alexei Cepicka) Jind the Minister of Health (Mr Josef Plojhar). Dr. Cepicka said that the Roman Catholic bishops were tools of the political policy of the Vatican. He claimed that only 10 per cent, of the clergy opoosed the Church Control Bill. The Vatican radio to-day urged Czech priests to give a pledge of loyalty only to the Czechoslovak Republic—not to the Communist regime.