Meeting of Cultures

19. 10. 2012

The Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia declared the year 2013 to be the Year of Saints Cyril and Methodius. It was led by awareness of the extraordinary historical importance of the Slavic missionaries for the nations of Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe which, thanks to the missionary work of the Solun brothers, came to self-recognition and spiritual actualization. We consider the spiritual and cultural legacy of their Christian mission an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the present and a source of spiritual healing for the future, which is unconceivable without values like selflessness, honesty, morality and also erudition and wisdom; i.e. values, in which Saints Cyril and Methodius are unrivaled models for us even these days.

Based on the agreement between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church the nationwide celebrations will take place in the spirit of unity and the motto "Unity in diversity". They will be launched at Mikulčice in the South Moravian region on 25th May, within the "Meeting of Cultures", and will culminate at Velehrad in the Zlín region on 5th July within the "Days of the People of Goodwill". The mutual agreement between the two churches is a historical moment, which is to point out unity of Christians in our republic on the occasion of remembering one of the most significant milestones of our, as well as of European history.

Events will take place separately. Yet, with mutual support and cooperation, in proof of the unending importance of the Cyrillo-Methodian mission for nations of the whole Europe. In absolute concordance of all Christians in our republic, there is also one more project going on - shooting of a four-part docudrama by the Czech Television and a full-length film, which will describe the whole journey of the saint missionaries. Both the celebrations and the movie are historical deeds the aim of which is to point out the huge importance of the mission which took place 1150 years ago but which is still alive and topical.

The Meeting of Cultures, which is natural part of the events of the Cyrillo-Methodian year and which is emerging from long-term negotiations among the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia, the South Moravian region, the Masaryk Museum in Hodonín and other institutions, will take care of the beginning of the nationwide celebrations on the occasion of the 1150th anniversary of the arrival of Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia.

The most significant part of the celebrations is to take place in the area of the Slavic Fortified Settlement at Mikulčice, in live transmission by the Czech Television with 15,000 people participating. The beginning of the Cyrillo-Methodian celebrations at Mikulčice will be personally attended by one of the greatest spiritual authorities of the present world, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Patriarch of Constantinople and New Rome, and representatives of all 14 autocephalous orthodox churches from the whole world, representatives of local Czech Roman Catholic Church, representatives of the Vatican, representatives of the churches united in the Ecumenical Council of Churches, representatives of the World Council of Churches (WCC), representatives of the government, of the Parliament, regions of the Czech Republic, partner towns and regions from abroad, and many others.

One of the aims of the beginnings of the nationwide Cyrillo-Methodian celebrations is to enhance the uniqueness of the Slavic Fortified Settlement at Mikulčice as one of the prominent centers of Great Moravia and one of the sites where the Cyrillo-Methodian mission took place, and to make the South Moravian region visible. The international character of the event will add to the worldwide importance both of the missionaries themselves and the Czech Republic, as well as the region of South Moravia.

Various institutions, including, among others, also tens of surrounding towns and villages, have been preparing a rich program for visitors and TV viewers, which will include a Holy mass of the Orthodox Church with participation of other churches, a thematic evening program for the broad public, a presentation of traditions and folk art of the South Moravian region, children's workshops on the theme of Cyril and Methodius, thematic exhibitions, expositions, expert lectures, a marketplace, previews of the prepared movie and many others.
Mgr. Ondřej Chrást, secretary for external relations of the Ecumene of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands PhDr. František Synek, director of the monument of Old and Great Moravia, the Slavic Fortified Settlement at Mikulčice