Church no longer a priority in liberalized Czech society, Salesian Priest laments

Mar 26, 2007 / 08:57 am

Visiting the international headquarters to Aid to the Church in Need recently, Father Benno Benes SDB a former Provincial of the Salesian Brothers requested prayers for the people of the Czech Republic, who he said are in danger of loosing their faith as society is increasingly liberalized.

“The liberal pressure today is so strong that words are not enough to give the faith to following generations.”

“The faith, “Fr. Benes said, “must be passed on by concrete deeds, by personal relations. To bear true witness to the faith – that is what we need.”

“In communist times, the people stuck together, because they could feel that the Church was under enormous pressure. But today, the freedom and the liberalisation of life are so strong, that the Church does not belong any more to the priorities of people’s life,” the Salesian father lamented. “Society is not interested in the Church.”

Fr. Benes also spoke to ACN about his apostolate and thanked them for their assistance.  He and 5 other Salesian brothers are living in Teplice, in the Diocese of Litomerice, where they take care of poor families and help in the pastoral work of the parish.

The Salesians have also started a youth center in the parish, which ministers in large part to youth from the Roma, or “gypsy,” community.  Benes said around 40 Roma young people come there everyday.