Baptism, wedding, funeral

Conditions of Baptism

Before receiving baptism, it is necessary to undergo spiritual preparation, during which the applicant for baptism learns the basics of the Christian faith and church life. The preparation depends on the age of the applicant.

Young children who have not yet started school are represented by their parents during the preparation. The minimum requirement is that at least one parent is baptized and practices their faith so that they can pass it on to their child. Similarly, the godparent, who is to assist the parents in the religious upbringing of the child, must be baptized in the Roman Catholic Church, ideally also confirmed. The date of baptism and the method of preparation for it must be agreed with the spiritual administrator – the priest – at least one month before the planned date of baptism.

Children who are already attending school or adult baptism applicants undergo preparation in person. The preparation lasts at least one year. It begins with acceptance among the baptism candidates (catechumens) in the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslas, and Adalbert. This ceremony takes place twice a year: either on the Saturday before the Feast of Pentecost or on the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. The subsequent preparation is then shared with all baptism candidates once every 14 days at the Prosek parish after evening mass.

In 2024, preparation for adult catechumens will begin on Wednesday, May 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the Prosek parish (address: U proseckého kostela 5/3, 190 00 Prague 9 – Prosek). The nearest date for admission to the catechumenate will then take place at the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslas, and Adalbert on Saturday, May 18, at 4:30 p.m. In this case, too, it is first necessary to register with the spiritual administrator – the priest.

If someone misses this date and would like to request baptism at a later date, they can contact the spiritual administrator to arrange the next steps.

Conditions for holding a wedding in a church

The minimum requirement is that at least one of the betrothed is baptized in the Roman Catholic Church.

Another condition is that neither of the betrothed is bound by a previous canonically valid marriage. This means that either they are marrying for the first time, or if they are divorced, their previous marriage has been declared invalid by the Church. 

The easiest way is to approach the local spiritual administrator – a priest – after Mass and arrange a meeting with him to discuss the preparations at least three months before the planned wedding date.

In addition to preparing with the local clergy, the bride and groom are also required to complete joint premarital preparation at one of the family centers of the Archdiocese of Prague (e.g., in Kobylisy). You can find more tips on preparation courses for engaged couples at the link.

However, even on this occasion, church regulations on music in churches apply, which only allow sacred music, not secular or popular genres.

The funeral can take the form of a final farewell in a church or directly at the grave where the coffin or urn will be laid to rest.

The date of the funeral must first be agreed with the local clergyman – priest, and only then with the funeral service.

However, even on this occasion, church regulations on music in churches apply, which only allow sacred music, not secular or popular genres.