Prague - Pope Benedict XVI is to visit the Czech Republic, one of the least church-going nations in Europe, in September, the Czech presidential office said Thursday.

The pope should spend two to three days in the central European country of 10.3 million in late September when Czechs commemorate their national patron, Saint Wenceslas, the office said. The holiday takes place on September 28.

The Roman Catholic Church is traditionally the strongest faith in the country but Czechs are known for contempt of organized religion.

Polls have shown that two thirds of Czechs consider themselves faithless and only about one tenth attends church services on regular basis.

The Czech Republic is the last central European country that does not have a concordat with the Vatican. Lawmakers rejected a draft treaty in 2003.

Efforts by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek's center-right government to compensate the churches for property seized during the communist era have been stalled. A related draft bill is parked in parliament.

The state and the church have also waged a protracted legal battle over the ownership of country's most striking church, St Vitus's Cathedral set in the midst of Prague Castle, the seat of Czech presidents.

Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, visited the Czech Republic in 1990, 1995 and 1997. (dpa)