Faint Signs of Faith Part 7: An Interview About ‘Seekers and Dwellers’ In the City of Prague
PRAGUE — The Church of Our Lady Victorious and the Infant of Jesus is one of the most visited churches in the city of Prague. Its walls, decorated with layers of gold and the infamous statue of Jezulátko (infant Jesus) attracts people from all around the world.
Regardless of one's religious affiliation, the church’s breathtaking architecture and rich history make the Church of Our Lady Victorious an irresistible attraction for travelers. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the city of Prague has been ranked one of the most atheist countries — with 78.4% of the population identifying so — according to World Population Review.
While most can find this to be a unique spiritual experience, locals of Prague have a rather interesting relationship with the church.
The inside of The Church of Our Lady Victorious and the Infant of Jesus in Prague, Czech Republic. Photo by Janeth Beltrán Apodaca/European Journalism Institute.
To learn more about the juxtaposition between the city’s religious culture and high levels of atheism, Pavel Pola, a native to Czech Republic and director of the church sat down with us to answer some questions.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Q: Do you think it is accurate that most people name Czech Republic the most atheist country in the world?
A: Yeah, I have heard too someone says it like that ... that we are ... one of the most atheist countries in the world or in Europe ... but I don't think so. It’s hard to say. I think that there are not very many religious people, like they are going to church, or they are declaring themselves Christian or of any religion, but I think that many, many people would answer that they believe in God, or they believe in something.
According to Pola, roughly 30% of the people declared themselves as believers after the end of the Communist Party government in 1989. Now, only about 10% declare themselves as Christian, but the real number is closer to 3%.
Pola explains that part of the city’s merge into secularism stems from the Thirty Years’ War. During this time, the Catholic religion was strongly enforced with prohibitions of any other religion, creating the rise of separation from the church.
Q: How would you describe this separation from the church?
A: To divide the people between believers and nonbelievers doesn't make too much sense for me. ... It’s much better to call them seekers and dwellers ... you know? ... You can be a believer who seeks or you can be a dweller. ... I would say many are seekers here, and they would say they are spiritual. They want to ... be a spiritual person, and they don't declare themselves atheist, that (they) “don't believe in anything.”
Pola adds that in the eastern part of the country, Moravia, religion is practiced in a much more traditional way. He believes that being spiritual is more important than being religious but agrees that religion can be used as a tool for spirituality.
A: People are believers, but not in a personal way, really. Here (in Prague), the faith is much more personal and much more deep, and (it) makes sense for me to do it like that. Not the numbers, not that everybody goes to church, and (not that) everybody declares himself or herself, Christian.
Regardless of the fact that the Czech Republic is known as the least religious country around the globe, religion is romanticized all over Prague. Cities like this serve as a perfect example of how a city’s historical background can affect the present. In today’s Czech society, religious liberation is important because for so many years under communism, Czech people lacked the ability to have full religious freedom.
It is clear that the people do believe in something. Whether that is a specific God or another higher power; in something, they believe. Our Lady of Victorious and the Infant of Jesus exemplifies the possibility of belief without practice, opening its doors to all seekers and dwellers from around the world.
Janeth Beltran Apodaca is a senior at Whitworth University, where she studies communication and reports for the student newspaper. She’s originally from Chihuahua, Mexico.
Zoe Sharif is a student at The John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City where she majors in international criminal justice and works for the John Jay Sentinel newspaper.
Editor’s Note: This is the seventh installment in a 7-part series reported by 24 young journalists from 16 countries who studied at the European Journalism Institute in Prague in July of 2022. EJI is co-funded and programmed by The Media Project (the parent non-profit of ReligionUnplugged.com) and The Fund for American Studies. EJI 2022 took place at Anglo-American University.
Faint Signs of Faith
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Regardless of one's religious affiliation, Prague’s Church of Our Lady Victorious’ breathtaking architecture and rich history make the church an irresistible attraction for travellers. While most can find this to be a unique spiritual experience, the locals of Prague have a rather interesting relationship with the church.