New archbishop of Prague sees himself as mediator between Czech public and Catholic Church

Newly designated archbishop Dominik Duka, who will be inducted into office at a special church service in Prague’s St. Vitus Cathedral on April 10, has said he will work to eliminate prejudice against the Catholic Church in the Czech Republic. He added that he wanted to encourage a dialogue between the Church and Czech society, which is sometimes labeled as atheist. Archbishop Duka said he did not yet have any specific projects in mind but was inspired by some open door events and exhibitions in churches across the country and wanted to bring similar happenings to Prague. The Czech Republic is one of the few European countries that does not have an official agreement with the Vatican. The lower house voted against its ratification in 2003.