Roman Catholic Church in the Czech Republic

The relations between the inhabitants of the Czech lands and the Roman Catholic Church have varied through history. Although for many Czechs it was a true confession, in modern Czechoslovak history it was often condemned.

After the formation of independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, its ties with the Habsburg dynasty were often emphasised and it was thus seen as an unwanted remnant of the monarchy. 

The communist regime was radically anti-Catholic. During the communist rule, between 1948 and 1989, monasteries were dissolved, monks and priests became frequent victims of repressive policies, and long-term prison sentences given to members of the Church were not rare either. A gradual revival began after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. The Roman Catholic Church is currently the largest religious organisation in the Czech Republic. According to information gathered by regular censuses, however, the number of its followers is decreasing. In 2011, 11% of Czech citizens declared as Catholics.

Territorially, the Catholic Church in the Czech Republic is divided into two provinces, Bohemian and Moravian. The Bohemian province consists of the Archdiocese of Prague and four dioceses: the Diocese of České Budějovice, the Diocese of Hradec Králové, the Diocese of Litoměřice and the Diocese of Plzeň. The Moravian province consists the Olomouc archdiocese and three dioceses: Brno and Ostrava-Opava. The archbishop of Prague is the Czech primate. The highest executive body, the Czech Bishops' Conference, has its seat it Prague. It has a status of a legal person and represents the Czech Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church in the Czech Republic manages many schools, charities and health institutions. The largest of them is Caritas Czech Republic, active on the entire territory of the Czech Republic. The Catholic Church in the Czech Republic also manages three theological faculties: in Prague, Olomouc and České Budějovice. They offer theological education for future priests, but also various other courses in Christian education, ministry, charity, etc. Katolický týdeník is the official weekly paper of the Bohemian and Moravian dioceses.