The St. Vitus Cathedral will receive new bells and possibly also an organ

Prague - St. Vitus Cathedral may soon acquire new bells. The administrators of the cathedral want to add three more bells to the existing four, which disappeared during World War I. The purchase of the bells will cost approximately 1.6 million crowns, with the Prague city hall, the castle, and professors from the Czech Technical University involved in finding sponsors. Archbishop Dominik Duka told journalists this today. The future plan includes acquiring new organs and making the cathedral more open to the public. The cathedral already invites visitors to exhibitions, concerts, and an organ festival.
    The cathedral currently has four functioning bells - Jan, Josef, Václav, and Zikmund. The other three, named Dominik, Mária, and Ježíš, were destroyed during World War I. The largest of them was Dominik, which weighed over one ton. Its production will also be the most expensive, costing approximately one million crowns. The city hall has promised to find sponsors for this bell. The castle has volunteered to cover the cost of the Mária bell, which will cost over 260,000 crowns, while professors from the Czech Technical University will seek sponsors for the Ježíš bell, which will cost about 178,000 crowns. The installation of the bells will require nearly 100,000 crowns.
    Life in the cathedral is being revived thanks to an agreement that Duka made with President Václav Klaus last May. They agreed on the joint administration of the cathedral and ended a long-standing court dispute over its ownership.
    A council of key holders from the coronation chamber has been established for the joint administration of the cathedral. Its members include, among others, President Klaus, Prime Minister Petr Nečas, Archbishop Duka, and Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda. These key holders are discussing plans and projects related to the future of the cathedral, such as repairs and the purchase of new organs, and so on.
    Representatives of the cathedral also presented a new website today www.katedralasvatehovita.cz. People can find a list of masses, exhibitions, and concerts there, as well as information about the history of the cathedral and a photo gallery.
    Duka, who became the Archbishop of Prague last April, believes that the cathedral is important for believers, but at the same time, it is a significant symbolic place for the entire Czech nation. Therefore, as such, it should not be a cause of disputes.