Zagreb, (IKA) – The Permanent Council of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, which met on December 11 in Zagreb, issued a statement on the occasion of the introduction of an alternative subject to Religious Instruction in elementary schools.

In the statement it is emphasized that the Croatian Conference of Bishops has supported this possibility since the institution of religious instruction in the school system. “In early December, the Framework for the National Curriculum was presented in which it is proposed that the name of the alternative subject should be Religious Culture. Religious Instruction in school includes the content of Religious Culture and, therefore, in some places this name is used for that which we call Religious Instruction. Therefore, the name Religious Culture could lead to misunderstanding regarding the special characteristics of each of these two subjects. In this sense, we propose that the name for the alternative subject should be Ethical Instruction and Religion, which clearly expresses the similarities and differences between this subject and Religious Instruction,” read the statement published by the Press Office of the Croatian Conference of Bishops.

The session of the Permanent Council at which the president of the CCB, Archbishop Marin Srakić of Đakovo-Osijek, presided was attended by the members Archbishop Cardinal Josip Bozanić of Zagreb; Archbishop Marin Barišić of Split-Makarska, vice president of the CCB; Archbishop Ivan Devčić of Rijeka and Msgr. Vjekoslav Huzjak, general secretary of the CCB.