Zagreb, (IKA) – On June 6 in Zagreb, an agreement was signed between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Zagreb Archdiocese whereby the King Tomislav Barracks will be bequeathed to the Church for the purpose of the establishment of the Croatian Catholic University. According to this agreement, the Republic of Croatia has bequeathed the property of the King Tomislav Barracks to the Catholic Church and the Church has bequeathed the apartment properties known as the “Little Vatican,” that were confiscated from the Zagreb Archdiocese after World War II, to the Republic of Croatia. The agreement on the mutual bequests of properties was signed by Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Archbishop Cardinal Josip Bozanić of Zagreb.
The prime minister expressed his satisfaction at the signing of this agreement, whereby the Republic of Croatia gives the Church the King Tomislav Barracks and the Zagreb Archdiocese gives the Republic of Croatia the “Little Vatican” properties: “Last year we signed a letter of intention for the mutual bequest of properties in order to establish the Catholic University.” Dr. Sanadar was also gratified that an adequate solution and premises had been found for the Catholic University, noting that there is still an outstanding claim by the Zagreb Archdiocese of approximately fifteen million kunas and there are hopes that it will be settled soon.
Dr. Sanadar was also pleased that the “minister of foreign affairs” of the Holy See, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, was visiting Government officials today. “Croatia’s progress in every aspect will be better if we base it on knowledge and therefore we have given our support to the establishment of the Catholic University. Knowledge must one of Croatia’s assets. We cannot compare with large economies but we can have knowledge that should provide competition. The Catholic University will prosper if it has a good faculty and programs and if it attracts students. I do not doubt the quality of the education because the Church has afforded education great significance,” emphasized the Prime Minister. He mentioned that the Church also had a great role in the establishment of the University of Zagreb. He noted that in Croatia there are approximately 2,500 students attending Catholic schools, which he said was an exceptionally low number in comparison with other Catholic countries but that it was evident that the Catholic schools were assuming an increasingly prominent place in the Croatian society. He added that it was indisputable that all of Europe rests upon Christian roots and expressed the conviction that the Catholic University should not be an opponent of the “non-Catholic universities” but one more offering. “I am sure that the new Catholic University, through the promotion of Christian values, will contribute to the development of Croatia for the benefit of all its citizens,” said the prime minister.

Cardinal Bozanić pointed out that the Catholic Church in Croatia considers it necessary to make a specific contribution to the society at this time. “The Church has always reflected on what was necessary for the individual at a given moment and how to contribute to the society and milieu in which he lives. Therefore, I am pleased that we have made one more step toward achieving the goal of the establishment of the Croatian Catholic University,” said Cardinal Bozanić, thanking the Croatian Government for its openness from the onset to the initiative for the establishment of the Catholic University. “Today we have signed an agreement that corrects an error of history – since the year 1945, properties have been taken from the Church, other institutions, but also citizens, without any justification and in violation of all democratic principles.” He stressed that the Church wants the property that the Zagreb Archdiocese received with the King Tomislav Barracks to be for the general good of the citizens of Croatia because, as he said, “the property of the Church serves exclusively for the worship of God and the promotion of education, culture and charity.”