Studies were a divine gift that changed my life ****************************************************************************************** * ****************************************************************************************** *========================================================================================= * Luboš Palata is interviewed by Marie Opatrná *========================================================================================= *========================================================================================= * *========================================================================================= Luboš Palata is a Czech journalist specializing in European and Central European events an policy. He has received several rewards, including the Ferdinand Peroutka Prize. He gradua science from Charles University and in applied ethics from Catholic Theological Faculty of University. You are a very successful journalist who surely has a lot of work. What made you study at Theological Faculty? Why did you choose applied ethics? Talking about theological faculty, I have to say that I didn’t choose it. At that time, I it was a coincidence. However, after two years at Catholic Theological Faculty I see a div in it. You just go on a trip to Sázava and get an idea that you haven’t been in Sázava mon long time. So, you go there and have a nice chat about St Procopius. And on your way out y Catholic Theological Faculty leaflet where you read about combined studies. And you’ll get could try it. But then you find out that standard entrance examination has already been. B will tell you to try to call there if there is not a chance. And there is one because the entrance examination is in September. Lessons are on Saturdays, which was my only free day it is possible to follow up my bachelor degree from the 1990s when due to working full tim I was not able to continue standard master studies any more. So, it looks good from this p well. You will read the recommended books but still you do not know at all what you are going to the entrance examination with a huge respect, as if you are visiting a totally unfamiliar another planet. I have to say that I wasn’t a believer, only my wife was. I only gave her sometimes and waited for her. During the entrance examination, you will get a text in English which you have to translat about the difference between gender and sex, about the issue of transsexuals and transgend on. And you are tested by a nun... Was it a surprise for you? A surprise... Well, I said to myself that it wouldn’t be a completely different planet, th be oxygen there to breathe and it might be possible to live and study there. After a very entrance examination, for which I had read books I liked, I stepped in this river as a per experience, both with Christianity and this whole environment. The two years at the faculty saved my life. It was the peak of the migration crisis and ma mine from the newspaper had turned radical before my eyes. I don’t think I am any “do-good person who tries to think humanely, admires T. G. Masaryk and tries to see every refugee a as a number. Suddenly in the newspaper I was in the environment where I did not belong, an isolated there. But it was hard to find another journalist job and it took more than two y a black sheep there. It was a really hard time. I attended the lessons at the faculty every Saturday as a sort of a spiritual retreat. Bec overwhelming majority of my schoolmates together with Christian thinking I had been discov Christian attitude to the world gave me power to survive the other six days of the week. A which I love and for which I like doing journalism. It is the fact that you simply learn n the people around me ask me about my studies, I always say that I do not regret a single S at Catholic Theological Faculty. I did not feel that I had learnt something useless there and that it was wasted time. I re forward to the lessons, the school gave me a lot. Suddenly I was able to look at the same another point of view, sometimes even a totally opposite one. However, there was a free at and an unexpected range of opinions. It was not a catholic dogmatism but a surprisingly fr least for a person who had no idea what can be taught at Catholic Theological Faculty. And people there, both teachers and schoolmates. It was really two years of wonderful studies. You have just answered my next question. I wanted to ask if your studies had influenced yo it influence your work as well? When I was preparing for the interview, I realized that I thinking about whether faith influences journalism. Definitely. Besides my work for the Czech media, I regularly write to the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper. Those who know the Polish situation are aware that the Gazeta Wyborcza definite religious daily. And in some attitudes, the newspaper is even in a war with the Polish chu I must say that thanks to my studies I suddenly was able to see some issues where I agreed colleagues from the other side. It didn’t mean throwing away their opinions and automatica opinions of those criticised by the Gazeta Wyborcza. The studies simply extended by spectr And I must say I started to think more about the things about which you know that they are right, but you do not think about it too much. For example, artificial reproduction, begin life and its end. Or whether we keep up pace with the technological development in order t it would not become a threat rather than a hope. Just yesterday I came across an article a Hawking. Before his death, he warned about a danger of possible creation of artificial “su discussed this topic quite intensively in several different subjects. We discussed where t and what dangers it brings when it is crossed by somebody. I think that thanks to my studi able to think about some ethical problems deeper than before. Which is definitely a great journalist, at least for such one who tries to be a real journalist. Your CV says that in 2002 you received the Ferdinand Peroutka Prize which is awarded to pe prove their honesty, high moral integrity, personal responsibility for the social conseque journalist activity etc. You must have been thinking about these crucial issues before you the prize awarded to you connected with a concrete topic you were working on at that time? It was an excellent time for me when I worked as a foreign correspondent for several years Bratislava and was in charge of the whole Central Europe. The following two years I worked editor-in-chief of the Pravda daily newspaper. The prize was connected with my writing abo Europe, which is a topic I have been writing about for more than 25 years. I have always t about this region as a whole, I compared our joys and sorrows with those of the people liv neighbouring states. It was an unusual way of writing. Journalists often distorted our sit political one, or even lied about it. I tried to describe truthfully where we are. A compa surroundings will give you a rational basis thanks to which you can claim something or opp about us or our surroundings. Now, as somebody who has been writing about Central Europe for twenty-five years, I am qui what I supported with my writing, i.e. the cooperation of Central European countries - Vis shows a completely opposite direction. It is not cooperation of countries trying to become democratic, to become a part of the best functioning and democratic part of the world gran rights to their citizens and providing the best life from my point of view. Central Europe liquidates or at least restricts democracy. It defines itself senselessly against its part Europe. It presents itself as being better despite the facts proving the opposite. We can dictators are proliferating here and it reminds us of the period between the world wars, w bring anything good to Central Europe. So, it is my way of the joy from the Peroutka Prize over my beloved region which actually earned me the prize. At the start of the year, you published an article “Dutiful journalism is on the verge of in the whole Central Europe”. How do you see the role of journalism in new media but also frequently discussed freedom of speech? Is there a future for traditional journalism? I hope there is. Also, because it means more for me than just an occupation. It is not a w money, it is a way of existence for me. I do not grumble at the electronic media because i way how to get close to readers. However, a big problem is that our work is available for have got used to it. The same has been experienced by musicians. But unlike them, we, jour organise a festival or give a concert. So, we are in a big trouble to make a living from t free”. But there are still areas where you get paid well for your work. Somewhat worse situation other kinds of journalism, for example dutiful investigation journalism, which is perhaps We, foreign correspondents, have the second most costly work. We need to travel all over t reports and sometimes stay at a foreign location for several years. Nobody in Czech printe for that nowadays. But it does not mean that traditional journalism is disappearing comple doing really dutiful journalism is like custom shoemaking. It does not mean that we can compete with those who make bonded sneakers. But there are st appreciate beautiful handwork, which craft should produce. Journalism is not art, but a du it is done well, it requires effort, time and knowledge. There will not be many of those w type of journalism, but they are here and will be here. And it is up to people, if they ha that, to buy hand-made shoes rather than bonded sneakers, i.e. the information which is av internet almost for free, or for free altogether. Did your studies also influence your personal life? The studies gave me one more key moment I haven’t mentioned yet. Thanks to it I became a b christened and I had to get married once again to the same women, before God. A great impu from Lent reflections in Nový Dvůr which I spent with the faculty chaplain Dr. Vopřada and students. When I went there, I was still an atheist. When I had done six monastic prayers and servic our chaplain and asked him: “Monsignor, I am an atheist. I’m afraid I’m ruining it. Could me so that tomorrow everything was all right?” (laughter) He said no. But then a year of p christening followed, including fabulous St. Vitus Cathedral where I was a catechumen. Tha christened at Easter, had a wedding two weeks later, then I handed in my theses and took f So, I can really say that the studied changed my life. I think that the general public should be informed that a person like me, an atheist, can Theological Faculty. Naturally, the students do not have to end up baptized Christians, bu even if I hadn’t been christened, I am convinced that the studies of applied ethics can be for a person from outside. As it opens up this new world for them, a new universe. A world want, you can meet the God. Therefore, I believe that Catholic Theological Faculty is a mi The text was first published in DOXA vol. 5, no. 1, December 2018 [ URL "https://www.ktf.c version1-doxa_09_18_web.pdf"] , pp. 17-19.