Prague Expat Life

11th November in the Czech Republic

First World War memorial in Zbraslav © Ricky Yates

Today is Armistice Day, marking the signing of the armistice, ninety-eight years ago, which brought an end to the First World War at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. In the USA, it is known as Veterans Day and is kept as a public holiday.

During the First World War, what is now the Czech Republic was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire which, together with Germany and the Ottoman Empire, formed the eventually defeated Central Powers. The Czechs were a subjugated people, increasingly seeking much greater autonomy or self-rule. As I explained in my previous post, two weeks before the official end of WW1, the independent new nation state of Czechoslovakia was proclaimed.

Yet despite the rise of Czech nationalism, many Czech people fought and died for an Empire that they didn’t really believe in. In many towns and cities across the country, there are memorials such as this one in Zbraslav, to those who gave their lives in the First World War.

Today is also St Martin’s Day, the Feast Day of St. Martin of Tours. As a fourth century Roman soldier, Martin is said to have cut his military cloak in two and given one half to a scantily clad beggar outside the city of Amiens, to protect him from the freezing weather. Later, after leaving the army, Martin became a monk and hermit, before being made Bishop of Tours in 371.

Here in the Czech Republic, there are numerous traditions associated with St Martin’s Day. There is a Czech saying, ‘Martin prijíždí na bílém koni‘ – ‘Martin is coming on a white horse’, indicating that today is when the first snowfall can be expected. This year in the Czech Republic, Martin came quite early with the first snowfall on the higher mountains some two weeks ago. Even here in Prague, we had our first dusting of snow, twenty-four hours before St. Martin’s Eve.

St Martin = wine & goose :-) © Ricky Yates — St Martin = wine & goose 🙂 © Ricky Yates

Many restaurants offer a St Martin’s special menu which always features roast goose. According to tradition, the association of a goose with St Martin is because he was so reluctant to be ordained a bishop, that he hid in a goose pen, only for his hiding place to be given away, by the cackling of the geese.

The appropriate accompaniment to St Martin’s goose is Svatomartinské vino, a young wine from the recent harvest. This is produced in the vineyards of South Moravia and always becomes available for the first time on 11^th November each year. In more recent times it has been marketed in a big way in a similar manner to Beaujolais nouveau.

All that I describe here are examples of the keeping of traditions which are Christian in origin by a now rather irreligious Czech population. The Epiphany door-marking illustrated at the end of this post and referred to in following comments falls into the same category.

A long weekend of anniversaries and celebrations

Double-flagged tram for Czechoslovak Independence Day © Ricky Yates

Friday 28^th October 2016 – was a public holiday here in the Czech Republic, celebrating the ninety-eighth anniversary of the declaration of independence of a country that no longer exists 🙂 In the dying days of World War One, the new nation of Czechoslovakia was declared independent of the Austro-Hungarian Empire on 28th October 1918, by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, who then served as President of the ‘First Republic’, until 1935.

Although the state of Czechoslovakia ceased to exist on 1st January 1993, following the ‘Velvet Divorce’, the public holiday remains! Interestingly, it is no longer kept as a public holiday in Slovakia. Instead, they have double celebrations on 1^st January each year, both to mark the New Year and to celebrate the establishment of the separate Slovak state, on 1^st January 1993.

Inevitably, with the public holiday this year falling on a Friday, it made the perfect excuse for many Czechs, to leave the city and spend a long weekend at the chata or chalupa, out in ‘the nature’. But it was also marked by two other significant things.

As well as the official celebration of Czechoslovak Independence Day at Prague Castle, overseen by President Miloš Zeman, which was boycotted by quite a number of the ‘great and the good’ because of the recent behaviour of the President, there was a very well-attended rival unofficial celebration in Staromestské námestí/Old Town Square. And following recent new legislation, shops with a floor area in excess of 200 sq. metres, were required to be closed for the day, much to the annoyance of many retailers, who are threatening to challenge the law in the courts.

Anticipating Reformation Day 31st October 2017 © Ricky Yates

Today, Monday 31^st October – is Reformation Day / Reformationstag, marking the occasion on 31st October 1517, when Martin Luther sent a letter to the Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeberg, protesting about the sale of indulgences and enclosing a document setting out his disputation with Roman Catholic teaching and practice of that time, which has become known as ‘The 95 Theses’. According to tradition – though now disputed by some scholars, he also pinned these ’95 Theses’ to the door of the Schlosskirche /Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

As I explained in a blog post written four years ago, in several more Protestant German Bundesländer, each year, 31^st October is kept as a public holiday. The Church of England also remembers today, ‘Martin Luther – Church Reformer’, as part of its calendar.

This year, many more people have become aware of the significance of Reformation Day, because of Pope Francis visiting Sweden, to share in two ecumenical services with members of the Lutheran World Federation, seeking to bring about reconciliation between two major strands of Christianity, after four hundred and ninety-nine years of division.

Certainly, as far as I am concerned, I am much happier celebrating the life and teaching of Martin Luther today, rather than participating in any of the stupidities that both children and adults involve themselves with marking Halloween in the USA and the UK. I am pleased to say that, despite the efforts of commercial interests and some American and British expats, Halloween is not really seen by most Czech people as part of their culture. Long my this continue!

Tomorrow, Tuesday 1^st November – is All Saints’ Day, the designation now most commonly used for what was once known as All Hallows’ Day, from which the word ‘Halloween’ is derived – the eve of All Hallows’ Day. I suspect the vast majority of people dressing up in stupid costumes and encouraging children to go around frightening people, haven’t a clue as to where the name ‘Halloween’ actually comes from 🙁

In many countries, tomorrow is a public holiday, including Austria, Slovakia, Poland, and the Bundesländ of Freistaat Bayern/Bavaria, which together surround the irreligious Czech Republic, where it in NOT a public holiday. But the day is a wonderful opportunity to both remember and give thanks, for all the saints who have gone before us, and to seek to learn from and follow their examples.

In between these significant days came yesterday, Sunday 30^th October. What were we to mark and celebrate at St Clement’s? Well, as St Paul bids us to do, we prayed for ‘those in authority’, in our situation, particularly for those in authority in the Czech Republic. The children and young people, in their time together, learned about Martin Luther and Reformation Day. And we gave great voice to the hymn ‘For all the saints’, to the wonderful tune, Sine nomine, by Ralph Vaughan-Williams.

But in all of this, I was also very aware of another significant date. With it being Sunday 30^th October 2016, it was exactly six months until the end of my time as Chaplain of St. Clement’s, Prague, as I’ve now written to bishops and various others, stating that I will retire on Sunday 30^th April 2017.

A problem with the appointment process in the Church of England

‘How did you end up in Prague?’, is a question I have quite frequently been asked over the past eight years. My simple answer is always, ‘Because I applied for the job’. I chose to come here – I wasn’t sent.

For the past twenty years or more, nearly every vacant position in the Church of England has been advertised in the Church press. If you wish to apply, you complete a now fairly standard application form and submit it by the closing date. In due course, a short list of candidates is drawn up and those selected are invited for interview. An appointment is then made.

Putting it in simple terms, the Church of England has adopted the normal secular method of filling a vacancy. A change of position or advancement within the Church is now by competitive interview, rather than based on who you know. One can always cite instances where this still isn’t quite the case, but normally it is.

As part of this process, the vacant parish/benefice/chaplaincy has to draw up a profile, describing what they are like – the situation in which the new appointee will have to minister. They also have to write a person specification, saying what kind of individual they would like as their next Rector/Vicar/Priest/Chaplain. I must say that the expectations expressed in some person specifications that I have read, have left me feeling that only the Archangel Gabriel need apply, and even if he did, there would be no guarantee that he would be appointed 🙂

Whilst overall, the process does seem fair and right, I do have one major problem with it in relation to those of us called to ordained ministry within the Church. One question on the application form asks, ‘Please specify how you meet each of the selection criteria?’ In other words, how do you fulfil all the expectations contained in the person specification?

Answering this question in the manner expected, requires you to say what a wonderful, gifted Christian minister you are – basically that you are the best thing since sliced bread! You have to sell yourself and I find that being at complete odds with my calling.

I have expressed this view verbally, many times in the past, particularly quoting the words of St Paul; ‘For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.’ Romans 12. 3. Yet to be appointed to a new position, you are required to do the exact opposite – to think very highly of yourself.

As a result, there are inevitably some people who have gained new positions and advancement within the Church, in part because of being very good at selling themselves. And others who should have gained preferment, but haven’t, because of having the sober judgement that St. Paul recommends.

One person I knew, who was junior to me in the sales and marketing department of the publishing company I worked for before ordination, trained for ministry shortly after me and is now the Dean of a Cathedral. He was very good at self-promotion when in secular employment and I’m sure that has contributed to him being where he is now. Interestingly, in the process, he has gone from being a Charismatic Evangelical to being a Liberal Catholic 🙂

I am not saying that one shouldn’t be self-aware. As an ordained priest, I should know what are my strengths and what are my weaknesses. But when people ask me how a service has gone, especially a wedding or a funeral, I usually say in response, ‘Ask those who were there; those who were on the receiving end of my ministry’.

I have been promising to write a blog post on this very matter for a few years. But I have finally been prompted into doing so by a series of verses from the Gospel of Luke which have occurred within the Gospel readings set for recent Sundays by the Revised Common Lectionary that we, and so many other Churches, follow.

In Luke 14. 10-11, Jesus says that, ‘when you are invited (to a wedding banquet), go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’ That last sentence recurs again at the end of the Gospel passage I shall be preaching about tomorrow – the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, as recorded in Luke 18. 9-14.

Jesus is also recorded, speaking to his disciples, saying, ‘So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!” ’ Luke 17. 10. In other words, don’t go around saying how wonderful we are in all that we do.

Basically, my premise is that the Church should be encouraging and admiring humility amongst its ordained clergy. Self-awareness, yes – but not self-aggrandisement. Having this week, written and sent my formal letter of resignation as Chaplain of St Clement’s, Prague from 30^th April 2017 when I will retire from full-time ministry, all I can say is that I’m very pleased that I will not once again have to sell myself, in order to gain a new post.

Warsaw

Following lunch on Sunday 25^th September, which marked the official end of the 2016 Eastern Archdeaconry Synod, quite a number of the Synod members stayed on for an afternoon walking tour through the centre of Warsaw. It was good to have the opportunity to see something of the Polish capital before returning to Prague the following day.

The first building that caught my eye after the taxi dropped me off in the city centre, was the tower of the Palace of Culture and Science. This building is a classical example of Stalinist-Baroque architecture and bears a striking resemblance to Hotel International here in Prague, located just a few hundred metres from the Chaplaincy Flat. Both are based on the design of Moscow State University.

The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, built between 1952-55, was a ‘gift to the citizens of the city from the nations of the USSR’ 😉 During the communist era, it was seen as a symbol of Soviet domination and, as my Polish guidebook says, ‘still provokes extreme reactions, from admiration to demands for its demolition’.

Ministry of Finance building, Warsaw © Ricky Yates

Other examples of post-WW2 architecture are not so ostentatious such as this building which houses the Polish Ministry of Finance.

Our walk took us the length of Nowy Swiat, one of the historic thoroughfares of Warsaw, which later becomes Krakowskie Przedmiescie. Both streets are lined by a series of attractive buildings, but knowing how much is original, as against that which has been rebuilt since the destruction of World War Two, is difficult to tell.

The Church of the Holy Cross, Warsaw © Ricky Yates

This is the baroque fronted Church of the Holy Cross whose main claim to fame is being the burial place of the heart of the composer Frederic Chopin.

Church of the Visitation, Warsaw © Ricky Yates

Two other Churches along this ‘Royal Route’ as it is known, are the Church of the Visitation……

Carmelite Church of the Assumption of the BVM, Warsaw © Ricky Yates

……and the Carmelite Church, dedicated to the Assumption of the BVM.

Presidential Palace, Warsaw © Ricky Yates

In between is this grand palace which, since 1994, has been the official residence of the President of Poland.

Here, a balcony is being supported by four male figures, an architectural feature which can also be regularly observed in Prague, except that in Prague, the figures are more commonly female 🙂

The Royal Route ends in plac Zamkowy/Castle Square, which is actually more triangular than square 🙂 The original castle was built between 1598 – 1619. Sadly, this was utterly destroyed by the Nazis during World War Two and the current impressive building is a complete reconstruction undertaken between 1971 – 1988.

From the square, there is the view below, across the Vistula River, to a very recent addition to the Warsaw skyline – the National Football Stadium, completed in early 2012 in advance of Poland and Ukraine, hosting the European Football Championship.

National Football Stadium, Warsaw © Ricky Yates

The 2016 Eastern Archdeaconry Synod in Warsaw

Members of the Eastern Archdeaconry Synod with Bishop Robert, following the concluding Sunday morning Eucharist © Ricky Yates

Between Thursday 22^nd – Monday 26^th September, I attended my ninth and final meeting of the Eastern Archdeaconry Synod which this year, was hosted by the Warsaw Chaplaincy. My first Eastern Archdeaconry Synod was in mid September 2008, held in Corfu, in the week before Sybille and I moved to Prague and before I commenced writing this blog. Subsequent Synod meetings were in Izmir in 2009, Vienna in 2010, Bucharest in 2011, Attica, Athens in 2012, Woking 🙂 in 2013, Prague in 2014 and Zagreb in 2015.

Our Synod meeting took place in Dobre Miejsce, a Roman Catholic Conference Centre located in delightful woodland on the north-western outskirts of Warsaw. It proved to be an excellent venue with comfortable single rooms, a well equipped conference meeting room and a large chapel for worship. The only downsides were the food, which was quite repetitive and very traditionally Polish, and a wifi network which frequently disconnected 🙁

In order to get to Warsaw, I chose to drive, accompanied by Churchwarden Gordon Truefitt, one of our two lay delegates to the Synod. Jack Noonan, the other lay delegate, was also going to travel with us but eventually chose to fly, (at his own expense), as he needed to leave Prague later on Thursday 22^nd and return on Sunday evening, rather than on Monday 26^th. It is an indication of the vast size of our Eastern Archdeaconry in that the Prague Anglican Chaplaincy is the nearest one to Warsaw, yet my journey was one of almost 700 kilometres.

During the Synod, we enjoyed three Bible studies led by Rev’d Neil Richardson, a Methodist theologian and Biblical scholar. He explored the ministry and writings of St. Paul and how they can be applied in the life of our Chaplaincies.

A good part of our time on Friday, was taken up addressing the issue of ‘Safeguarding’ and how we are to implement the instructions with regard to this subject, coming down to us from the Church of England centrally and the House of Bishops. We had two long sessions, led by the Diocesan Safeguarding Manager, Ian Carter, a former police officer. The training clergy and volunteer leaders are going to have to undertake, seems incredibly onerous. It is the quickest way to put off people volunteering to help in our Chaplaincies!

However, the need to do this was brought home to me in part of the address to Synod the following day, by our Diocesan Bishop, Rt Rev’d Dr Robert Innes. Here are two paragraphs from that address, which clearly highlight the problem.

‘In recent decades it has become apparent that the Church in Europe has not cared as it should have done for children and vulnerable people. As a direct result, in some countries, trust in the church has plummeted. In Belgium, (where Bishop Robert is based), a recent survey by our leading consumer magazine, showed that the RC church is one of the least trusted institutions in our country – trusted far less than the army, the social services, even politicians. I found that deeply shocking.

So our emphasis on safeguarding is about building a high trust culture. It means establishing systems and procedures that, as far as we can, give people confidence that those of our people who are in positions of trust are genuinely trustworthy.’

Late on Saturday afternoon, we had a session on growing new congregations. We heard about some exciting developments in Poland with new Polish-speaking and English-speaking congregations being established in Kraków and with plans for a new congregation in Gdansk. I was asked to speak about how the Brno congregation came into being, here in the Czech Republic.

As always, the time spent informally with colleagues over meals and evening drinks at the bar, were some of the most valuable parts of our Synod in Warsaw. Working as we all do in isolated situations, it is difficult to put into words the importance of this time spent together, once a year.

The Synod ended with a Sunday Eucharist at which Bishop Robert was the celebrant and preacher. For this service, we were joined by the Warsaw Chaplaincy congregation. Immediately afterwards, the Synod members posed for the photograph at the beginning of this post, though a couple of Chaplains are missing from the picture.

I should end this post by expressing my thanks to Rev’d David Brown, the Chaplain in Warsaw, and to his Churchwarden Patrick Acheson, who together did a marvellous job, organising the Synod. Having hosted the Synod in Prague in 2014, I know the amount of work and stress that is involved! Thanks are also due to Archdeacon Colin Williams, for whom it was his first experience of being in overall charge of the Eastern Archdeaconry Synod, having officially come into post at last year’s Synod meeting in Zagreb.