Spiritual Prague

Echoes From

BY JOHNNY DAYANG

Prague, Czech Republic— In my current journey here in the Capital of the Czech Republic, I observed that Churches of different religions are now serving functions other than places of worship, reverence to God’s order, and to be a part of the community of God’s believers. Prague is said to be the “Heart of Europe” and sometimes called the “Mother of Cities.”

Here, some churches, from the Romanesque to modern times, represent and bear the grandeur of Prague’s spiritual life and richness which has been developed through centuries as crossroads of Christian and Jewish cultures. 

With my son, Dr. Juan Enriquez “Jed” Dayang, Jr. who is the deputy head of mission of the Philippine Embassy here in Prague, we paid homage to Infant Jesus at the Church of Our Lady Victorious. The Infant Jesus of Prague is noted for protection, healing and help in conceiving a child. 

The statuette, which is 47 cm high, is said to have come from Spain and is one of the top 10 tourist attractions in Prague, especially by Catholic pilgrims all over the world. It portrays Jesus in benediction. Inside the Church, one can view a collection of garments, including the Philippines’ famous pina clothing designed by Filipino designer Benjamin Farrales.

Prague also attracts tourists for its Prague Castle, Vysehrad, Palace Gardens, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square with the Astronomical Clock, Jewish Town, Municipal House, Petrin Hill and Estate Theatre.

Also an important pilgrimage site in Prague is the Loreto, a complex encompassing the Holy Hut and Pilgrimage Church of the Nativity of Our Lord. One can listen to the unique carillon that chimes at the top every hour. A rarity is the Loreta treasure, whose most precious object is a monstrance decorated with 6,222 diamonds.

* * * Czech Republic is facing a population peril. It has only 10-million population, with Prague, the capital having only 1.2 million. Many Czechs have settled with one child or no children. 

In a stable economy it is lacking hundreds of thousands of people, in the economically active category—between 15 to 64 years of age, will drop by as many as two million by 2020. It is feared that the decline cannot be reversed.

Perhaps, it is the reason why so many non-Czechs are working in various industries and companies in the Czech Republic. There are only about 500 Filipinos who are working and residing here in this country. Can they multiply fast enough?