The Plzeň Bishopric has published a book about the dilapidated churches of the diocese

Plzeň - The Plzeň Diocese has published a book that documents the condition, stories, and fates of 122 deteriorating churches in the diocese that are at risk of destruction. The book follows an earlier publication that documented more than sixty completely destroyed and demolished churches. Due to the large number of photographs, it can also serve as a kind of "catalog" from which potential donors and sponsors can choose a specific church building they would like to help save, said Plzeň Bishop František Radkovský to CTK today.
    In the diocese, which includes approximately the area of the Plzeň and Karlovy Vary regions, there are about 480 churches, of which 122 are already in very poor condition. Saving the churches in the diocese would cost several billion crowns. Additional billions would be needed to bring the sanctuaries up to the level the church would like to have them. Even churches that appear to be in reasonably good condition need further investments, not only in construction but also in interiors, said architect and one of the book's authors Jan Soukup. According to him, this averages about eight million per church in the diocese. "Churches that need absolutely nothing can be counted on the fingers of one hand," the architect claims.
    The publication presents churches built from the Gothic period up to the 1930s. In some cases, efforts to save them have already begun, but all are faced with the problem of further repairs and future use. Photographs, including archival images, document the fates of these buildings - some were led to devastation by fire, while others were systematically destroyed during the past regime, Soukup recalled. "Each presents different qualities - some are remarkable for their fates, some have a complicated history, romantic appearance, fate, or are interesting due to their age," he added.
    The diocese recently established a foundation called Dominanty, which is meant to collect funds for the repair of church monuments. The diocese itself, even though it invests millions of crowns into the churches annually, has no chance of saving all the buildings. It thus welcomes the interest from municipalities, towns, or civic associations in some of them. "They often have a better chance of accessing various support and grants for the repairs of these monuments," believes the bishop. The diocese has already transferred dozens of churches. Radkovský is pleased not only that the buildings will have a chance for salvation but also that the effort to save the church unites believers and non-believers alike.