Queen Maxima of the Netherlands presented the Bell of Freedom, which was cast from Russian shells fired at Ukraine, to the Church of the Most Holy Savior (Salvator) in Prague. The bell was officially handed over to the church in the presence of the Czech presidential couple, Petr Pavel and his wife Eva. This is reported by UNN with reference to Czech Radio.
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During a short ceremony, the bell was consecrated by Catholic priest, theologian and philosopher Tomáš Halík. He called for prayers for an end to wars and violence, for peace and justice, and for an end to the war in Ukraine, stressing that it is time to turn military weapons into bells of peace.
The bell was cast in the royal workshop of Eisbouts in the Netherlands. And the idea of its creation arose near the Embassy of the Netherlands in Prague. The Prague association Sanctus Castulus (Saint Castulus) took part in the initiative.
I quoted the verse from the Bible “Beat your plowshares into swords” and added that weapons of violence and hatred will turn into bells of freedom
– said Halik.
Before the start of the ceremony, Queen Maxima, accompanied by President Pavel and his wife Eva, walked across the Charles Bridge to the church. They inspected the first few statues in the direction of Křižovnická Square (Crusaders Square).
Halik called the bell a symbol of solidarity with Ukraine and with all persecuted and wounded people.
It will outlive us for many generations and centuries. I think that the symbolic bell from the very heart of Prague will speak to the whole world. The bell will temporarily remain in the presbytery of the church, and it is planned to put it on the bell tower in the fall
Halik noted.
The creators added material from sleeves collected in Ukraine and sent to the Czech Republic last week to its body. The bell’s body is decorated with many small crosses, which symbolize the victims of Russian aggression in Ukraine. The unique steel heart of the bell was made at a foundry in Ostrava.
A part of the Russian S-300 missile that Russia threw at Ukraine is placed in the heart of the bell
– said the representative of the Sanctus Castulus organization, which is engaged in the transportation and installation of the bell, Ondřej Boháč.
According to the Office of the President of the Czech Republic, the main goal of the state visit of the Dutch royal couple is to strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries, based on common values such as membership in the European Union and NATO, deeper economic cooperation and strengthening European competitiveness.
Let us remind you
According to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, in the Sumy region the enemy is breaking through the defense of the Armed Forces and expanding the bridgehead, in the Kharkiv region the advance of the Russian army has intensified, and in the Chernihiv region they have begun to use more KABs and aviation missiles.