Zagreb (IKA) — At a press conference held on April 23 at the Secretariat of the Croatian Conference of Bishops in Zagreb, the vice president of the CCB, Archbishop Ivan Prenda of Zadar announced that main topic of the 28th Plenary Session of the Croatian Conference of Bishops was the training and education of candidates for the priesthood, especially in seminaries. He said that there has been a shift in the mentality of young people who are coming to seminaries and colleges of theology, and the need is felt to confront the new needs of young people who are being trained with the new needs of the Church that has the task of transmitting the gospel. Noting that the bishops had devoted a good part of the conference to these urgent topics, Archbishop Prenda pointed out several directions in which it is necessary to work. He emphasized the need for forming those who form others, i.e. it is necessary to work on raising the professional level of work in seminaries, by which he meant the schooling of our specialized priests in the world, in order to train them so that they can work in this area as educators, psychologists and priests. He noted the need for a reform in the curricula at colleges of theology, especially in the changed climate when theology has entered the university. The bishops are aware these are times of mass media that have a particular role in the development of every person, including candidates who have shown the need to open their souls to the community, in contrast to the mentality of individualism that is present in modern civilization so that through this training for community and education in a healthy community they can prepare to be leaders of parish communities tomorrow. “We are of the opinion that the phenomenon among young people of late psychological maturity creates several tasks for educators in the seminaries in order to help them to discover their calling as early as possible or to create fundamental options, that is to decide whether or not to become a priest fairly early, in order to be able to motivate them for study and preparation for their future calling,” explained Archbishop Prenda, and pointed out that the Council for Seminaries and Spiritual Callings will prepare a document on the training and education of candidates for the priesthood.

Speaking about the work of Croatian Caritas, Archbishop Prenda said that it had become a body that has an important role in the representation of the Church, especially at the sociological level, which is closely connected with the work of the Center for the Social Doctrine of the Church. He announced a meeting of Caritas Europe from May 11 to 15 in Dubrovnik, and a Caritas project during which containers will be set up in order to collect clothing that will be made available to those in need.

Auxiliary Bishop Josip Mrzljak of Zagreb spoke about the construction of two significant memorial churches discussed at the session, the Church of Croatian Martyrs in Udbina and the parish and memorial church in Stara Gradiska. The sponsors of the construction of the church and memorial center in Udbina are the Croatian Parliament and the Croatian Conference of Bishops. According to Bishop Mrzljak, an appeal will be issued to our parishes, as well as the Croatian missions in the world for the collection of material assets. In reference to the construction of a new church in Stara Gradiska, Bishop Mrzljak noted that Catholic priests who were incarcerated in Stara Gradiska after World War II had been forced to tear down the remains of the local church and clear the site with their bare hands.

Archbishop Ivan Devcic of Rijeka said that the bishops had received the news of the positive opinion of the European Commission on the Croatian application for membership in the European Union, saying that the bishops are aware that the European Union is not perfect but it is the reality within which the Croatian nation must seek its future.

At the session, Bishop Slobodan Stambuk of Hvar-Brac-Vis was chosen as the representative of the CCB to the Symposium of Bishops of Africa and Europe that will be held in Rome. Bishop Antun Skvorcevic of Pozega and his deputy, Auxiliary Bishop Duro Hranic of Dakovo and Srijem will participate at the Synod of Bishops in Rome. At the session of the HBK, Bishop Ivan Milovan of Porec-Pula was chosen as the president of the Council for Migrants. Auxiliary Bishop Vlado Kosic of Zagreb was chosen as the president of the Center for Social Doctrine and the Commission of Justitia et Pax (Justice and Peace). Bishop Duro Hranic of Dakovo and Srijem was chosen as the president of the Council for the Clergy.