Prague, Czech Republic - The Culture Ministry faces lawsuits over the controversial draft amendment to the church law, submitted by former minister Pavel Dostal, his successor Vitezslav Jandak said and indirectly called the bill rather unfortunate.
The bill's critics say it is at odds with the Constitution.
Jandak, a well-known actor who replaced the late Dostal about a month ago, said on TV Nova that the problems accompanying the bill cannot be presented as a clash between the state and the Roman Catholic Church.
"The bill is controversial in relation to other churches as well. Yesterday (Saturday) I received news from the Jewish community, from the Hussites (Protestant Czechoslovak Hussite Church) etc," he said.
He said he had been informed about the lawsuits only on Saturday.
The Chamber of Deputies was to vote on the church bill this week, but it will do so only in October, as the senior ruling Social Democrats (CSSD) announced it needs legal analyses to find out whether the bill really runs counter to the Constitution.
The Chamber of Deputies passed the bill already once. The CSSD, of which Dostal was a member until his death in July,passed it jointly with the junior opposition Communists (KSCM) in June.
The draft amendment defines new rules for the registration of charity and diacony organisations. Some churches, along with the junior ruling Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), believe the draft is at variance with the rights the Constitution grants to churches.
This opinion prevailed in the Senate which rejected the bill in August and the Chamber of Deputies is now to vote on the Senate veto.
When appointing Jandak (unaffiliated, nominated by the CSSD) minister, PM Jiri Paroubek (CSSD) asked him, among others, to conduct a dialogue with churches.
Jandak said today he had already started a dialogue with Prague Archbishop Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, with representatives of the Prague Jewish Community and with other churches.
"To me, the church is not only the question of prayers, I also view it as the bearer of culture and traditions," Jandak said.
He said the bill puts churches on the same level with "any group founded in a remote village."
"I think that churches in Europe, in Central Europe have always played a great role," Jandak continued.
In his opinion, it is necessary to ask whether the amendment is actually necessary, he said.
The core of the dispute rests in the question whether the bill restricts religious freedom, whether it infringes upon the churches' right to establish spiritual and other institutions - such as charities, schools and health facilities - according to its own rules, Jandak said.
Before the summer recess, Dostal asserted that the bill does not curtail religious freedoms. He said there are 26 officially registered churches in the Czech Republic.
"There has mainly been a conflict with the Catholic Church, from the very beginning," Dostal said.
He said the bill only binds churches to "act in accordance with the Czech Republic's legal order" and also to establish church-operated companies accordingly.