This year, the Easter Triduum was celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm throughout the Czech Republic. Last year, due to the pandemic, public Easter services could not be held at all and the baptisms of adults were postponed to Whitsunday.
This year, worshipers followed strict health restrictions, including that churches can only be occupied to 10 percent of their capacity, and pews must be disinfected before and after services. Mass singing, so popular in all Slavic countries, is not allowed. During the Easter Triduum, the government made an exception to the rules of free movement restrictions: they could return to their homes until midnight. As of Maundy Thursday, the curfew from 9 pm did not apply.
Catholic priests responded by organizing additional services. Participants signed up in advance to observe to the 10 percent hygiene limit. As we are informed, the attendance of online services was extremely high this year and we have no doubt that they were watched by many those who do not profess the faith.
The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, which is the second largest church in the Czech Republic in terms of the number of participants in services, followed a similar approach. Many adult baptisms took place in the Catholic and Evangelical Churches during Easter this year.
In the Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert at Prague Castle, which is also the seat of the President of the Czech Republic, Cardinal Dominik Duka, Archbishop of Prague and Primate of Bohemia, baptized and at the same time confirmed four men, two professional soldiers, mostly parishioners of the cathedral parish. One of them was an officer of the Castle Guard, which guards Prague Castle, in the grounds of which the cathedral is located, barracks are also in the parish. Two baptized were prepared in the Prague headquarters of the Prelature of Opus Dei, which is also based near Prague Castle. The Easter Vigil, which lasted three and a half hours, was streamed by cathedral television, which is managed and financed by the Metropolitan Chapter at St. Vitus in Prague (https://katedrala.tv/).
His Excellency Mons. Charles Daniel Balvo (standing in the photo on the left), the Apostolic Nuncio in the Czech Republic, took part in all the services of the Easter Triduum in the Prague Cathedral. He aroused the warm sympathy of worshipers and online viewers with his friendly behaviour and knowledge of Czech. On Maundy Thursday 1st April, in the morning during a service renewing priestly vows and sanctifying sacred oils, attended by several hundred priests from the Prague Archdiocese, he delivered a Czech speech, which was received with great sympathy.
Published: Church Reporter No. 3/2021, Newsletter for the English speaking members and friends of the Church Law Society
