Controversy sets tone for papal visit.

(From The Slovak Spectator)

Byline: Beata Balogova and Martina Pisarova Spectator staff

Catholic officials suspect nationwide conspiracy against the Church SEVERAL days ahead of the papal visit to Slovakia, Church officials are concerned about what they have dubbed anti-religious moods within the society, fuelled by discussions surrounding the costs of Pope John Paul II's visit. Archbishop Jan Sokol has said that there is a countrywide conspiracy against the Catholic Church, while Cardinal Jan Chrizostom Korec called the ongoing debate "pitiful and uncivilized". Over the past month the Slovak media have written numerous stories questioning the funds the state has released to cover the preparation for the Pope's visit, describing it as one of the most lavish of all the visits that a leader has paid to the country. Although the Pope has already visited Slovakia twice since the fall of communism in 1989, never has he been accompanied by so much controversy. John Paul's third visit to the country will take place between September 11 and 14. The state will contribute Sk80 million ([euro]1.9 million) to the papal visit. However, towns, churches, and other state organisations involved in the visit originally had requested more than Sk270 million ([euro]6.4 million) to cover the four-day tour. The head of the ruling Christian Democratic Movement's (KDH) parliamentary caucus, Pavol Minarik, told The Slovak Spectator that no previous official visit has been surrounded by such a massive debate about its costs. Unlike Sokol, Minarik does not think that a conspiracy against the Catholic Church is taking place in Slovakia, but nonetheless, he said he finds the Church officials' concerns justified. "Conspiracy, I think, is perhaps too strong a word. But I think those Church officials' opinions are justified because the atmosphere here is really starting to be rather unpleasant," Minarik said. "We have seen a remarkable insistence upon informing the public about the financial aspects of the Pope's visit, which is something that has not been present here with any previous official state visit," he said. Throughout the debate over the costs, many media have pointed out that in the neighbouring Czech Republic, the country's foreign affairs ministry spent only 1.5 million Czech crowns ([euro]46,400) during the Pope's visit to the state a few years ago. But it was not only media comments on the costs for the Pope's visit that has triggered Archbishop Sokol's alarm. He said he perceives antagonism towards the Pope within Slovak society, and that a "conspiracy" was aimed at the elimination of religion here. Sociologists have said the debate signals a growing conflict between the conservative and liberal parts of Slovak society. Over the past year the public has been exposed to several ongoing debates ...