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Happy Fourth Birthday to my blog and an update on previous posts

Lapel badge for supporters of Karel Schwarzenberg © Ricky Yates

Today my blog celebrates its fourth birthday. I wrote my first ever post four years ago today – this post today is post number 213.

Whilst today is a day for a little celebration, I still am somewhat disappointed with myself. A year ago when writing a blogpost to mark the third birthday of my blog, I promised to write at least fifty-two posts during the following year that ended yesterday. I fell short – I only managed fifty.

It is not that I lack things to write about as I have at least four topics noted down for future posts. It is the problem of finding the time to sit down and compile a coherent post when I also have a rather important day-job to do. Of course, it isn’t a job but rather a vocation. And I hold an office rather than having a job description to fulfil. But I hope my blog readers understand what I mean.

I am also very aware that I’ve written about certain issues or events in the past, but never given a further update. So let me use this fourth anniversary post to correct that omission.

Czech Presidential Election

Further to my earlier post, the second round of voting took place on Friday 25th & Saturday 26th January. The outcome was a victory for Miloš Zeman, who gained just under 55% of the vote, with just over 45% going to Karel Schwarzenberg. Sadly the outcome has resulted in bitter recriminations and left a somewhat divided country.

Schwarzenberg polled extremely well in Prague taking two thirds of the vote. He also polled well in other major cities, especially Brno, and was very popular amongst educated young people. On the other hand, Zeman polled well in the rural area and smaller towns, and also in those areas where there was once heavy industry which now no longer provides employment to any great degree. In simple terms, those who have prospered in the last twenty years and those who through higher education, see good future prospects for themselves, voted for Schwarzenberg. Whilst those who have done less well since the Velvet Revolution in the rapid move to a market driven economy, voted for Zeman.

Recriminations have been around the tactics used by Zeman and his supporters, during the final days of the election campaign. These have been variously described as populist, nationalist and xenophobic. They included complaining that Schwarzenberg’s wife doesn’t speak Czech, (she is Austrian), that Schwarzenberg isn’t really a true patriot because he lived abroad during the time of the Communist regime, and over remarks he made about how the Beneš decrees, which resulted in the expulsion of the Sudetendeutsche in 1945, would now be regarded as ethnic cleansing.

The complaints from the Schwarzenberg camp about Zeman, relate to his personal character and those who supported his campaign. His campaign was well funded but without total clarity as to who did so. He is known to have connections with some Russians and other dubious characters and the fear is, that these supporters, will expect some form of financial payback during the next five years.

Zeman is also known as being a heavy smoker and heavy drinker. On the light-hearted side, I’ve already seen a photo-shopped image of him meeting my Queen with a cigarette in his hand, and asking for an ashtray 🙂 More seriously, he was filmed falling over whilst walking from where he was sitting watching the TV coverage of the counting of the votes, in order to give his first interview, once it had become clear he had won the election. Whether it was a genuine trip or the result of several shots of Becherovka is a matter of debate.

My latest run-in with Czech Bureaucracy

Today I resumed battle with Czech bureaucracy, in my attempt to exchange my current UK Driving Licence, for Czech Driving Licence. And I had fifty percent success!

By presenting a signed and stamped document on headed notepaper in the name of Farní obec Starokatolické církve pro verící anglického jazyka v Praze, the legal entity of my congregation with the Czech Ministry of Culture, in which I stated in Czech, that Sybille and I have permission to live in the Chaplaincy Flat where we have lived in for the past four and a half years, I successfully proved that this is my permanent family home. Success came because I was also able to also present a notarised copy of the congregation’s registration with the Czech Ministry of Culture, which shows me as the authorised person to sign on its behalf.

But at the same time, I was turned into a layman. Despite having my title of ‘Rev’ on two official documents, (driving licence and passport), of another EU state, I will not have ‘Rev’ in front of my name on my new Czech Driving Licence which will be issued to me on 21st February. I do find it very poor that, a nation for whom having academic titles in front of their names is so important, that they will not accept mine. I am given to understand that only Czech academic titles are acceptable. Clearly this is a decision made by JUDr Czech Bureaucrat. 🙁

I am hopeful that this will be my last run-in with Czech bureaucracy. However, if it is, I might struggle to find material for at least fifty more blog posts in the coming year 🙂

Burn’s Night Supper and Ceilidh

Gordon addresses the haggis © Ricky Yates

25th January is the birthday of the famous Scottish poet Robbie Burns (1759-1796). There is a long-standing tradition of holding a ‘Burn’s Night Supper on or around 25th January each year at which the life and poetry of Robbie Burns is celebrated. Brilliantly organised by my Church Treasurer, Gordon MacDonald Truefitt, St. Clement’s Church held a Burn’s Night Supper on the evening of Friday 25th January 2013 and combined it with a Ceilidh, at which various Scottish and Irish dances were taught and danced.

The evening was designed with two purposes in mind, both of which are somewhat inter-related. One was to try and put on a social event which would enable the disparate members of the congregation to spend time together and therefore get to know each other better. The second, was to provide an event to which members of the congregation could invite their non-worshipping friends, to experience and realise that Christians can have fun together and hopefully draw them into our worshipping community.

Through Gordon’s good offices we had both a most suitable venue – Michelský Dvur, belonging to the Sue Ryder Foundation. And we had an excellent Czech Celtic band ‘Mestská’, who entertained us whilst we ate and then provided the music for the Ceilidh that followed. Over fifty people attended of whom just over half were members of the congregation with the rest being invited friends and guests. As on any Sunday morning at St. Clement’s, the number of nationalities present ran into double figures.

I trust that the photographs below help to give a flavour to what was a wonderful evening.

Burns Night 3 — David & Alison Hellam dancing with Larry & Celieta Leifeste © Ricky Yates

Larry from Texas meets the haggis © Ricky Yates

Burns Night 4 — Richard York, Australian Churchwarden, but who has a Scottish grandmother, and his Czech/Australian wife Karen © Ricky Yates

My latest run-in with Czech bureaucracy

Our Lady before theTyn Church 2 — Our Lady before the Tyn Church, Prague © Ricky Yates

Today I had yet another Kafkaesque experience.

Ever since coming to live and work in the Czech Republic, I have been driving my car here on the basis of holding a valid UK Driving Licence. I had been told previously that, if I was here for longer than six months, I should really exchange it for a Czech Driving Licence. I have had the completed form & new photograph to do so for some time, but have never got around to doing anything further about it. After all, my UK Driving Licence declares that I live at The Rectory in my former group of parishes in North Oxfordshire, which is the address the Czech Foreign Police firmly believe to be my permanent address because they insist that every foreigner living here, must have a permanent address outside of the Czech Republic. So, for better or worse, that was the one both Sybille and I put down when we registered with them in 2009.

However, whilst my UK Driving Licence is valid until 25th February 2022, the day before my seventieth birthday, the photocard part needs to be renewed every ten years, to include a more up-to-date photograph. My current photocard is due to expire in early March 2013, which has therefore prompted me to act and seek to exchange it for a Czech Driving Licence.

So this morning, I went to the Magistrát hl.m. Praha / the HQ of Prague City Council, together with a fluent Czech-speaking member of the St. Clement’s congregation, to apply for the exchange of my UK Driving Licence for a Czech one. Along with my completed form & photo, & both the photocard and counterpart of my current UK licence, I took my passport. This contains my Povolení k prechodnému pobytu v CR, my certificate of temporary residence in the Czech Republic which is neomezený / unlimited. And I took my Potvrzení o prechodném pobytu na území / Proof of temporary residence, which confirms that my address is Pat’anka 2614/11A, Praha 6-Dejvice

The lady who we saw, kindly informed me that the law changed in March 2012. Despite my passport with my Povolení k prechodnému pobytu v CR, valid ‘neomezený‘, in it, and my Potvrzení o prechodném pobytu na území, being perfectly acceptable documents to enable me to register my car and for Bishop Dušan to get me recorded by the Ministry of Culture as the person who can sign on behalf of Farní obec Starokatolické církve pro verící anglického jazyka v Praze, the legal entity of the Prague Anglican congregation, they are not now sufficient to prove that the Chaplaincy Flat at Pat’anka 2614/11A, is my ‘family home’.

To prove that the Chaplaincy Flat at Pat’anka 2614/11A is my ‘family home’ where I live, I must also produce Sybille’s passport with her Povolení k prechodnému pobytu v CR, valid ‘neomezený‘, in it, and her Potvrzení o prechodném pobytu na území. That is not a problem as I can easily do that. But I also have to produce a document in Czech, by the owners of the flat, that declares Sybille & I live in the flat and have the permission of the owners to do so.

The flat is being purchased in the name of Farní obec Starokatolické církve pro verící anglického jazyka v Praze and the Church are just over seven years through paying off a twenty year mortgage. I am the person who can sign on behalf of Farní obec Starokatolické církve pro verící anglického jazyka v Praze and I have a notarised copy of our registration with the Ministry of Culture which says that I am.

Therefore it appears that if I produce a statement in Czech, on a letterhead with our correct Czech congregational name and registered number and registered address, saying that Sybille and I have permission to live in the flat, and sign the statement myself – and most importantly stamp it – that will be sufficient proof. In other words, beyond the necessity of getting a statement written in grammatically and legally acceptable Czech, I will be writing and signing a statement which gives myself permission to live in the flat that my wife and I have lived in for nearly four and a half years. I wonder if Franz Kafka is listening or reading this?????

The other problem the lady raised was the question of having ‘Rev’ or ‘Rev’d’ as the title in front of my name. This despite my UK Driving Licence declaring me to be ‘Rev Warwick John Yates’, (‘Ricky’ comes from the diminutive of ‘Warwick’ for those who don’t know), and my UK passport stating on the page reserved for official observations, that ‘The holder is the Reverend Warwick John Yates’. She claimed that the only way my title could be included on a Czech Driving Licence is if I had a document, translated into Czech, explaining that the title had been awarded to me!

As I’m sure most of my blog readers are aware, ‘Reverend’, usually abbreviated to ‘Rev’ or ‘Rev’d’, is the normal title given to an ordained priest/minister throughout the English-speaking world. I do have two documents, both signed and sealed by the Rt. Rev’d John Taylor, Bishop of St. Albans, one confirming my admission and ordination to the Holy Order of Deacons on 2nd July 1989, and a second, confirming my admission and ordination to the Holy Order of Priests on 1st July 1990. What I do like about both of these documents is that they say about me ‘of whom sufficient learning and godly conversation We were assured’ 🙂 🙂 🙂 But neither document states that my title now is ‘Reverend’.

I do find it ironic that here in the Czech Republic, where titles are deemed to be so important, a topic that I shall be referring to very shortly in a planned future blog post, Czech bureaucracy is doing its utmost to deprive me of mine. However, rest assured that I will somehow find my way through this latest example of Kafkaesque Czech bureaucracy. But there just might be a few strangled Czech bureaucrats en-route 😉

The Czech Presidential Election

Karel Schwarzenberg election poster on the bar at Restaurace U Topolu © Ricky Yates

On Friday and Saturday of this coming week, the Czech electorate will vote in the second and final round of voting to choose their new President. The first round, in which there were nine candidates, took place on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th January. Because no candidate got over 50% of the vote in that first round, the top two candidates are involved in a run-off in the second round.

The winner will replace the current President Václav Klaus, whose second five-year term of office expires in March. This is the first time that the Czech President has been directly elected by the people. Previously, the appointment was made by a joint vote of the two houses of the Czech parliament – the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.

Whilst the President wields very little political power, he is meant to represent the Czech state. President Klaus has become increasingly unpopular in recent times, both for expressing very Euro-sceptic views – this despite the considerable benefits the Czech Republic has received since becoming part of the European Union in 2004. He has also attracted great notoriety ever since the famous pen-stealing event in Chile, went viral across the internet.

The two candidates in the second round of voting are Miloš Zeman, who got 24.21% of the vote in the first round, and Karel Schwarzenberg, who got 23.40%. Whilst Zeman was expected to top the poll in the first round, Schwarzenberg’s performance well exceeded expectations and the predictions of opinion polls.

There is a real contrast between Zeman and Schwarzenberg. At a simplistic level, it is a contrast and contest between the political left and political right. Zeman is a former leader of the Social Democratic party(CSSD) and was Prime Minister from 1998-2002. In 2007, he left the CSSD and has been in the political wilderness for some years. Schwarzenberg is leader of the centrist pro-European TOP 09 party and currently Foreign Minister in the centre-right coalition government.

However, the greater contrast lies in their respective life histories and background. Zeman was born in Kolín, an industrial town east of Prague, in 1944. He has lived the whole of his life in the protectorate of Bohemia & Moravia/Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic. He was briefly a member of the Communist party between 1968-1970, but thrown out for opposing Soviet ‘normalisation’ policies imposed after the crushing of the Prague Spring.

Punk Karel :-) © Ricky Yates — Punk Karel 🙂 Please excuse the timetable for Tram 8 pinned at the bottom! © Ricky Yates

Schwarzenberg was born in Prague in 1937. He and his family left Czechoslovakia in 1948, when the Communists came to power and moved to Austria, only returning to Prague in 1990, following the Velvet Revolution. He is a titled prince, officially Karel, Prince of Schwarzenberg. Or if you really want his full title in German, it is Karl Johannes Nepomuk Joseph Norbert Friedrich Antonius Wratislaw Menas Fürst zu Schwarzenberg 🙂 Like many educated older Czech people, and because of his time living in Austria, he speaks fluent German with his Czech being described as ‘slightly archaic and often earthy’.

Schwarzenberg is particularly popular in Prague, which is why this post only has pictures of his posters. I have seen Zeman posters when driving to and from Brno, but didn’t get the opportunity to photograph them. Schwarzenberg is also very popular amongst young people, helped I’m sure, by some clever graphic design work, portraying him as a punk 🙂 But all Schwarzenberg’s publicity features him wearing his most recognisable trademark – a bow tie!

Schwarzenberg also seems to have the support of most of the Christian community in the Czech Republic, and from right across the spectrum. He is an active and practising Roman Catholic, but without advocating the very conservative views of the current Pope. He has also strongly endorsed the modern Czech translation of the Bible published in 2009 as ‘Bible 21’, and encouraged people to read it, thus making himself equally popular with the Protestant community.

Election board at Fraktal Bar-Restaurace © Ricky Yates

If the election was taking place in ‘Fraktal‘, the bar-restaurant where I took this picture, Karel Schwarzenberg would be the very clear winner! The result this coming weekend, is likely to be far closer.

Epiphany

Three Kings — Three teenagers we met walking home from Church on Epiphany Sunday, dressed as Melchior, Balthazar and Kasper © Ricky Yates

Yesterday – 6th January, was the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrating the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2, verses 1-12. The word ‘epiphany’ means ‘manifestation’ or ‘showing forth’ and is used because Jesus is ‘made manifest’ to the wise men, representing the gentiles. Whilst the Church of England allows for Epiphany to be celebrated on the nearest Sunday to 6th January, it was good yesterday, to able to celebrate the festival on the correct day because in 2013, the first Sunday of the new year was Sunday 6th January.

I note with interest, that celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany on the correct date each year, is not a problem in any neighbouring country to the Czech Republic, as in Poland, Slovakia, Austria and Freistaat Bayern / the Free State of Bavaria, 6th January is always kept as a public holiday. But not in the irreligious Czech Republic!

It is important to be aware of what Matthew 2. 1-12 does and does not tell us about these visitors who came ‘from the East’. Matthew calls them ‘Magi’ who were an ancient priestly caste in Persia. The word has traditionally been translated into English as ‘wise men’. We are not told that there were three wise men – that is an assumption drawn from them offering three different gifts. All we do know is that there was more than one of them as the word ‘Magi’ is plural.

These wise men are never described as being ‘kings’ – apparently the early Church Father Tertullian was responsible for first doing so, no doubt based on a literal understanding of Isaiah 60. 3, ‘Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn’. And the names Casper/Kasper, Melchior and Balthazar only came to be given to them some time in the eighth century.

Whilst I think it is important to separate what is actually recorded in scripture from the additional myth and legend that have grown up since, I do like to ponder the hypothetical question, ‘What if it had been wise women, instead of wise men, who came to visit the infant Jesus?’ The answer is that they would have asked for directions and therefore arrived on time and, as a result, would have helped deliver the baby. They would then have cleaned the stable, made a casserole and given Mary and Joseph practical gifts!

More seriously, I am always struck as I read this familiar story each year, by two related things. One is the distance those wise men must have travelled without ever giving up, even after they arrived at Herod’s palace in Jerusalem, only to find they were in the wrong place. The other is that the first thing they did upon finally finding the infant Jesus, was to bow down and worship him.

Whilst St. Clement’s Church is very well located in the centre of Prague, I am still amazed and encouraged by the distance some of the congregation travel in order to get to worship on Sunday, from all parts of the city and in some cases, from further afield. I often contrast this with the unwillingness of some Church members in my former group of parishes in North Oxfordshire, to travel just a few miles to the next village to worship when there wasn’t a service in their village Church on that particular Sunday. This despite the fact that they regularly drove far further during the week, in order to visit their nearest Tesco supermarket!

Last Sunday when preaching, I commended to the St. Clement’s congregation, the example of the wise men as one to follow in this new year. To put attending worship each Sunday at the centre of their plans for every weekend and fitting other activities around it, instead of planning everything else first, and then seeing as an afterthought, whether worship would still fit in. I commend this also to all the readers of my blog!

I will finish this blog post, in the same way I finished yesterday’s sermon – with the words of a bumper sticker I saw many years ago. It said, ‘Wise men sought Jesus – wise men and women still do!’