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Czechoslovakia Religious Activists
Another aspect of popular political expression during the
1970s and 1980s was religious activism. Czechoslovakia during
this time witnessed what was described as a "rebirth of religious
faith," especially noticeable among Czechoslovak youth, and
greater activism on the part of the Roman Catholic Church. The
former was manifested by an increase in young people's church
attendance and overall participation in church-related
activities. The latter was reflected in a greater number of
"underground" church services, greater Catholic clergy and lay
involvement in the Charter 77 movement, widespread dissemination
of Catholic samizdat publications, and a shift in the position of
the church's hierarchy regarding church-state relations. Since
the election of a Polish cardinal as pope, the Czech primate,
Frantisek Cardinal Tomasek, has taken a more independent stand.
He had condemned the Czechoslovak Association of Catholic Clergy
(more commonly known as Pacem in Terris), the pro-regime
organization of priests, arguing the importance of peace and
human rights at the government-sponsored Prague World Peace
Assembly in 1983; and increased his support of Charter 77.
Government reaction to the religious activists has been
harsh. Repression against the clergy, including arrests, trials,
imprisonment, and even raids against homes for elderly priests
and nuns, reportedly increased in the 1980s. Also, government
restrictions on religious education, church publications, and the
number of priests were enforced vigorously. Undoubtedly fearful
of its potential impact, the Husak government rejected Pope John
Paul II's acceptance of Cardinal Tomasek's 1984 invitation to
visit Czechoslovakia.
Data as of August 1987
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