Pope to visit Czech Republic in September

(June 1, 2009) Pope Benedict XVI is planning an apostolic visit to the Czech Republic from 26 to 28 September, the Vatican press office reported on Saturday. The Pope is accepting the invitation of the country's head of state, as well as that of the Czech bishops' conference, the statement reported. He will visit the country's capital, Prague, and the cities of Brno and Stara Boleslav. The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, had an audience with the Holy Father on Saturday in which he expressed "great satisfaction" regarding the scheduled apostolic visit. The Vatican communiqué noted that the "cordial talks" focused on the country's situation, particularly in reference to its relations with the Catholic Church, and the future of Europe, bearing in mind the importance of its Christian heritage. The Czech Republic has a population of around 10 million, 26.8% of which are Catholic.