Zagreb, February 23, 1998 (IKA) – The first session of the Ecumenical Coordinating Council of Churches in Croatia was held today, February 23, on the premises of the Croatian Conference of Catholic Bishops. The council consists of members from six Christian Churches, members of the Council of European Churches and the Council of European Catholic Conferences of Bishops, who are active in the territory of the Republic of Croatia: the Catholic Church, the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Evangelical Church, the Association of Baptist Churches in Croatia, the Pentecostal Church and the Reformed Christian Church.
Dr. Jure Zečević, professor at the Catholic Theological Faculty in Zagreb, was named as the first president of the Council. Boris Peterlin, a member of the Baptist Church and the head of the Christian Information Service in Zagreb, was named as the secretary. Each Church named one representative and one alternate to the Ecumenical Coordinating Council of Churches in Croatia. Dr. Jure Zečević and Dr. Nedjeljko Ante Anić were appointed as the representatives of the Catholic Church, Fr. Milenko Popović and Fr. Jovan Nikolić were appointed as the representatives of the Serbian Orthodjox Church, Andreas Lukša and Matias Deutsch were appointed as representatives of the Evangelical Church, Željko Mraz and Boris Peterlin were appointed as representatives of the Association of Baptist Churches, Dr. Peter Kuzmič and Pavao Moguš were named as the representatives of the Pentecostal Church, and Jasmin Delibašić and Karoly Andel were named as the representatives of the Reformedj Christian Churches in Croatia.
At the initial session, the Council expressed its support for all authentic ecumenical initiatives and aspirations in Croatia, whether local or on a broad scale, and reviewed their new tasks.
The initial meeting of the Ecumenical Coordinating Council of Churches in Croatia was held subsequent to the founding of this body at the First General Croatian Ecumenical Encounter, January 23, 1997. “The forming of this Council represents qualitative progress in the ecumenical aspirations in our country, because this is the first time that a standing multiconfessional body has been formed in Croatia in which members of Christian Churches have assembled at their common initiative,” stated the Council president, Dr. Jure Zečević.
The Council, as a standing working body, will organize and coordinate the initiatives of the Churches. Since there are similar councils, committees and working associations in other European countries among the Churches that are members of the Council of European Churches and the Council of European Catholic Conferences of Bishops, the Churches in Croatia want to respond to contemporary ecumenical criteria and make a joint contribution to the unification, spiritual renewal and reconciliation of Croatian society.