Horse-drawn carriage transports Cardinal Beran's coffin to St. Vitus Cathedral

Church representatives and hundreds of believers met at Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral on Saturday to welcome the return of Cardinal Josef Beran's remains at the end their journey from St. Peter's Basilica. The cardinal, whose name came to symbolize opposition to totalitarian regimes, died in Rome in 1969. His last wish was for his remains to one day be returned to his homeland.

The cardinal's coffin arrived in Prague on Friday evening by military plane and was greeted by a special delegation.

Church bells were rung across the Czech capital to mark the historic occasion.

On Saturday, the coffin was transported to St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle by a horse-drawn open carriage. Cardinal Dominik Duka welcomed the return of his predecessor in a mass dedicated to Saint Vojtěch.

Over the next three days, the coffin will remain on display for anyone to come and kneel before to pay their respects.

Author: Jan Velinger