Czech Republic
Lidové Noviny, 28 September 2009

Pope in the land of the Godless

Published on 28 September 2009 at 13:24
Lidové Noviny, 28 September 2009

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The Godless Czechs are more likely to believe in astrology than in religion, and their reputation as the most atheistic people on the planet is well deserved. In spite of this fact, or perhaps because of it, "the controversial Catholic leader," as Benedict XVI is dubbed by Lidové Noviny, is currently "on a pilgrimage to a country without a creed."

According to the Prague daily, the Pope wants the Czechs to pay more attention to tradition. The Sunday Mass, which drew over 120,000 people in Brno, Moravia, focused on the theme of hope. At Monday's service in Stará Boleslav, which was mainly for young people, Benedict XVI recalled the legend of Saint Wenceslas, the Czech prince who became the country's patron saint. In Prague, the daily pursues, Benedict XVI met politicians and academics, who he warned against the temptation, in this age of information and techonology, of opposing reason to faith and the search for truth. In the course of his visit, the "Pope of Truth", as Lidové columnist Zbyněk Petráček has termed him, received several gifts, including a copy of a silver crucifix that dates back to the era of Great Moravia (9th century), when the Christian faith began to spread.

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