Vatican hopes Pope’s visit will facilitate Czech-Vatican treaty

The Vatican hopes that the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Czech Republic will help pave the way for the ratification of a treaty between the Czech state and the Vatican, a Vatican spokesman told the news agency ČTK on Wednesday. On his three-day visit starting September 26th the Pope will be accompanied by Vatican state secretary, Cardinal Tarsicio Bertone. The secretary is scheduled to meet Czech PM Jan Fischer to discuss the issue.

The Czech Republic is one of several European countries that do not have a treaty with the Vatican. The country was close to ratifying it in 2003 but it was rejected by Parliament’s lower house.