|TOP|Churches in the Czech Republic are considering whether to appeal to the country’s constitutional court over a new law on religious bodies which they say restricts their activities and resembles Communist-era legislation on the church, reports Ecumenical News International.

Under the law, government officials have jurisdiction over the opening of places of worship and the establishment of religious communities. The new measures also require churches to use income from their activities solely for religious rather than civil or social purposes.

The law also obliges church charities such as the Roman Catholic Caritas to register as taxable civic enterprises.

|QUOTE|“The Ministry of Culture drew up the latest text without any dialogue with the churches," said Jitka Krausova, general secretary of the Czech Ecumenical Council, about the measure signed into law by President Vaclav Klaus on 6 December.

Archbishop Jan Graubner, president of the Roman Catholic Bishops Conference, also expressed the hope that the law will be declared unconstitutional.

This new law discriminates against churches, meddles in their internal affairs and reduces the Christian third of the population to second-class citizens," he said in a statement on 7 December.|AD|

Churches are concerned that the controversial new law limits their right to establish institutions such as charities, schools and health facilities which would be regulated by their own internal rules, adding that it harks back to the days of communist rule which limited religious freedom.

“Although a communist dictatorship no longer exists here, many legislators still harbour the same political habits,” said Lawrence Cada, press officer for the Czech Bishop’s Conference.

The strongest politicians here distrust the churches and don't believe in freedom of association. They think all power should be in government hands and everyone else should just keep quiet."

Krausova added: “If we want to set up some new pastoral and charitable centre, the government can now decide whether we actually need it. By allowing the state to control church activities, the law clearly resembles communist legislation."