So says a Czech bishop about his nation, in this piece about the struggle between church and state over an important landmark

Distilling the spiritual from the secular has proved difficult. A court ruled in 1994 that the cathedral belonged to the church, as it has for much of its history. The verdict was overturned on appeal. The church then offered to give the cathedral to the state but, in a bit of characteristic Czech defiance, the state refused, saying the building was not the church’s to give. A district court ruled again in October in favor of the church. The state has appealed and a decision is expected this year.

The atmosphere has been further strained by the Czech Parliament’s refusal to ratify a concordat negotiated between the Vatican and the state in 2002. Leftist lawmakers don’t want to appear to be giving the church special treatment. That stance has also hindered church efforts to reclaim other valuable real estate nationalized by the communists. "Whether St. Vitus stands for religion or national pride doesn’t matter," said Ilja Kolian, who strolled through the cathedral the other day past a mosaic depicting Jesus and Czech saints at the Last Judgment. "The main issue is who will take better care of this historical monument."

Despite lawsuits and appeals filed by both sides over the years, there is a degree of coexistence between church and state in the cathedral. Masses and religious ceremonies are held by the archdiocese, although priests must first be granted entry to Prague Castle. The state handles administrative and upkeep costs that ran about $700,000 last year.

It’s not difficult to discern why both sides want ownership of the cathedral: Saints and noblemen are buried there. The Czech crown jewels are in a vault that can be opened only by seven keys held by different state and church officials.

"Whole generations of the Czech nation contributed to this cathedral. Czech citizens gave their money to support its construction over more than 650 years," Kadlec said. "It’s complex and difficult to solve. The Catholic Church is not so well accepted here, but I think the public is surprised that the cathedral should belong to one party or the other. It’s been shared for centuries."