VATICAN CITY, FEB. 1, 2001 (Zenit.org).- Vatican Radio reported that the Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches in Slovakia have agreed to divide church buildings, schools and land.
This agreement opens the way toward a solution to the long-standing problem of property confiscated when the country entered the Soviet orbit after the Second World War.
The Greek-Catholic bishop of Presov, highest representative of the eparchy of Catholics of the Byzantine rite, and Metropolitan Nicolai of the Slovak Orthodox Church, signed the document agreeing to divide the properties. According to this document, both Churches give up their claims on buildings and plots of land in exchange for compensation from the state.
Among other things, the agreement covers more than 400 places of worship, which were confiscated from the Catholic Church. The state will compensate each of the Churches with just over $1 million. Both Catholics and Orthodox agree to give up any further claims to schools and lands, which are now state property.
The 1950 totalitarian regime obliged the Greek-Catholic Church to join the Orthodox Church. Both Churches have been disputing over their properties since 1989.
