BRATISLAVA, September 24, (WEBNOVINY) – The situation of church institutions providing social services and church schools was high on the agenda of a meeting on Friday of Prime Minister Iveta Radicova with the chairman of the Slovak Bishop Conference (KBS) Stanislav Zvolensky. As Zvolensky told the press, he asked the Prime Minister to support solution of the issues related to this field. “We agreed that the draft amendment of the law on social services is an instant solution, but a certain help will be needed for bridging the period until it takes affect, in order that social facilities do not have to be stopped because they are really in a desperate situation,” reported Radicova. The Parliament will discuss the amendment, which should at least partially improve the situation already in October. Radicova remarked that the current state of church social institutions and the clerical education system is a heritage from former government and is necessary to resolve this situation systematically in order to prevent them from falling again into problems, which they face now.
A work group should be created shortly involving experts from the Labor Ministry, Church and NGOs, which will help prepare a grand amendment of the law on social services. Both church schools and facilities providing social services face problems with funding, which is far more disadvantageous in comparison to state facilities.
Radicova and Zvolensky also briefly discussed the separation of church from the state. “If the initiative comes from church to reopen this topic, the government is prepared but the government itself will not open it,“ said Radicova. According to her, the government program statement also stipulates that the topic will be discussed only if the church demands it. “We now need to resolve in cooperation with representatives of the state the questions which are significant for functioning of our institutions of social services and education,” added Zvolensky.
Zvolensky informed the Prime Minister about the intention to invite Pope Benedikt XVI to Slovakia on the occasion of the anniversary of arrival of Saints Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia. As Radicova said, the plan has full support of the government while the visit of the pontiff would be a great honor. Zvolensky is pleased that the Chapel at the building of the Cabinet Office again opened and holy masses are served there each Wednesday since the current government took up. The prime minister has an ambition to provide access to the chapel also to a wider public.
SITA