Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol3, 1919.djvu/48

 fection to all of his people. Christianity spread over Bohemia rapidly, the people were deeply religious, although in the executive department of the church the Germanic influence, for which the Bohemians had ever in national affairs showed aversion and hostility, had perhaps somewhat a baneful influence upon the religious mind of the people. In the 13th and 14th centuries Bohemia had reached the zenith of its religious fervor and supremacy. Dark clouds of national and spiritual discontent began to threaten the peace and concord of the nation, when John Hus was condemned by the council of Constance for spreading the errors of Wyclif. The minds of the people were agitated. Controversies arose and the Germans used to great advantage the national strife of the Czechs; the Church suffered enormous losses and the baneful effect of this struggle lasted through centuries. However severe were perhaps the trials of the Catholic Church in Bohemia and notwithstanding the fact that Protestantism secured a foothold in the land after the Hussite wars, the majority of the Czechs remained true to the Catholic doctrines. They did not confound the pure teachings with the occasional unworthiness of those that taught. It can be truthfully stated that up to very recent years the Czechs remained true Catholics, whereas Protestantism was in a great minority as far as numbers were concerned. Owing to the unfortunate recent results of the union of the Church and State in Austria-Hungary, the Czechs inoculated with modern influence of materialistic teachings, began to forsake the Church, and although obliged to go through religious formalities, in what we may term a formally Catholic State, at heart they were not true and practical Catholics. The numerical strength of the Catholics in Bohemia is an artificial government calculation and does not correspond to the true state of affairs.

The religious state of affairs brought about by the conclusion of the war as reflected in Bohemia might be called chaotic. Great numbers of the Czechs with the possible exception of Moravia have defected from the practice of the faith and are at liberty to do in matters of religion as they wish. Will they adhere perhaps to the teachings of Huss and follow them practically? That is a problematical question. The field for missionary work in Czechoslovakia is open. No doubt the separation of State and Church is an assured fact in Czechoslovakia. The individual churches, whether Catholic or otherwise, will receive a practical support of their communicants, and religion will again be honored for its own sake and not through any rule or law of the State.

President Masaryk expressing his views on this vital question said again and again that absolute liberty of religion and conscience will be safeguarded in Czechoslovakia. His own words, addressed to the representatives of the National Alliance of Bohemian Catholics in the United States, which organization assisted according to its means to procure the downfall of the tyrannical Hapsburgs, said: “I am of the opinion that a plan for the adjustment of relations of Church and State will be worked out with the cooperation of the interested church officials. I assure you, that in so far as I can collaborate in the solution of this question I will see that it is done with due deliberation and without haste. The intention of this action is to remove the Austro-Hungarian abuse of religion by the State.”

It is to be sincerely hoped for the sake of the future glory of Czechoslovakia that the Czechoslovaks benefiting by their political maturity and universal intention to obtain political liberty after centuries of oppression, will after their dreams are realized show fully as much foresight and consideration in such an important factor as is the establishment of a true religious freedom, safeguarding thus the principles of Christianity and the idea of a true God.

In honor of President Masaryk’s arrival in Prague the Bohemian National Theatre staged Smetana’s great opera “Libuše”; the title role was sung by Emmy Destinn. Masaryk sat in what used to be the royal box.

French Foreign Minister Stephen Pichon said in the French Chamber on December 29: “We were the first to work for the resurrection of Bohemia which is the most remarkable and miraculous event of the war. We were the first to recognize the Czechoslovak government, the government of Masaryk, Kramář, Štefánik and Beneš. We called its members to our conferences. We formed the Czechoslovak army and with the music of the Marseillaise the government of the Czechoslovak republic entered Prague accompanied by the representative of France, the only foreign diplomat.”