Sunday, May 06, 2012

Vatican wants Czech church more active in health, social areas

The Vatican would like the Czech church to play a bigger role in social and health care services, Czech Health Minister Leos Heger told CTK after his talks in the Vatican. 

Most of the money that the Czech state would pay to churches as compensation for confiscated real estate under the bill on property settlement should go to care for the sick, dying and other people in need, Heger said.

The Czech government approved the bill on the return of property to churches last year, but 
parliament has not yet passed it.

Heger has been the first Czech health minister to have bilateral talks in the Vatican.

He said the talks focused on palliative and hospice care, chaplains operating at Czech clinics and controversial ethical issues like euthanasia and abortion.

Church organisations play a significant role in the Czech health services only in hospice and home care, of which the Catholic Charity covers about one-third, Heger said.

He said his ministry would like to reinforce palliative and hospice services.

Heger also discussed the Czech-Vatican treaty that has not been passed in the Czech Republic so far.

He said a number of points from the proposed treaty have already been fulfilled, however.

Heger said he position of chaplains active in medical facilities is quite developed but it should get a more official status.

He said the Czech Republic and the Vatican share a negative stance on euthanasia and they agree that the end of human life needs to be seen from the bioethical and moral perspectives, too.

"We have agreed that the dignity of a person, the patient, needs to be respected," Heger said.

On the other hand, the Vatican takes a very reserved position on abortion, in vitro fertilisation and stem cell research, but it accepts the liberal Czech attitude, he said.

Heger attended a general audience of Benedict XVI today and he gave the Pope scores of Czech composers of classic music, including the Slavonic Dances by Antonin Dvorak. 

He said the pope, who is a very good pianist, appreciated the gift very much.