Pope Leo accepts invitation to visit Czech Republic, nation’s president says

January 20, 2026

Pope Leo XIV has accepted an invitation to visit the Czech Republic, the nation’s president said after a papal audience yesterday.

Referring to his wife, who was also present at the audience, President Petr Pavel wrote on his X account that “Eva and I greatly appreciate that the Pope has accepted our invitation to the Czech Republic, and we believe that we will soon be able to welcome him here.”

“The Church has an extraordinary diplomatic reach and plays an important role in seeking ways to end conflicts,” President Pavl added. “Dialogue is, in this day and age that is fundamentally shaping the future of Europe, absolutely crucial. The Pope and I agreed that democratic countries are—and should continue to be—natural partners, and together they should strive for security and peace in the world.”

Following the papal audience, Pavl met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

The parties discussed ways to strengthen their “good bilateral relations,” according to a statement from the Holy See Press Office, as well as “issues of common interest and on several regional and international socio-political topics, with particular attention to the ongoing conflicts, emphasizing the importance of an urgent commitment to peace and the restoration of the principles and values ​​that underpin international coexistence.”

Czechia, or the Czech Republic (map), is a central European nation of 10.8 million that is 34% Christian (29% Catholic), with 59% professing agnosticism and 9% professing atheism.

 

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Further information:

• Comunicato della Sala Stampa della Santa Sede: Udienza al Presidente della Repubblica Ceca, 19.01.2026 (Holy See Press Office, 1/19/26)
• Social media post (@prezidentpavel, 1/19/26)