Lipavský: Still open questions in relations with Vatican

Several open questions still remain in the Czech Republic’s relations with the Vatican, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský told the Czech News Agency on Monday, adding that the government is hoping to reach progress in its attempts to sign a new agreement on relations with the Holy See. Political agreement in key in finding a successful outcome, he said.

The Czech Republic is one of the few countries in Europe that still do not have an official agreement on relations with the Vatican. A proposal in 2003 was not approved by Parliament due to concerns that it would disrupt equality of rights among religious institutions in the country. Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that the government is hoping to sign a new agreement during his visit to the Vatican last week.