Msgr. Marin Srakić, archbishop of Đakovo-Osijek and president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, presided at the Thirty-Ninth Plenary Session of CCB held at the diocesan ordinariate in Dubrovnik, Poljana Paska Miličevića 4, from October 20 to 22, 2009. The active members of the CCB at the session were joined by Msgr. Ante Jurić, archbishop emeritus of Split-Makarska. The session was also attended by Msgr. Mario Roberto Cassari, the apostolic nuncio in the Republic of Croatia.

Bishop Franjo Komarica of Banja Luka participated as the delegate of the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bishop Janos Penzes of Subotica, Bishop Ilija Janjić of Kotor and Bishop Đuro Gašparović of Srijem attended as guests.

Part of the session was attended by the Rev. Enco Rodinis, a secretary in the Secretariat of the CCB, head of the Central Institution of the CCB for the Maintenance of Clergy and Other Church Officials, and head of the Finance Office of the CCB.

At the beginning of the session, Archbishop Srakić of Đakovo-Osijek, the president of the CCB, greeted all present. Addressing Msgr. Mario Roberto Cassari, he asked him to convey greetings and expressions of filial devotion to the Holy Father from all the participants of the plenum and the entire Church in Croatia. Msgr. Srakić cordially welcomed Vladika Nikola Kekić of Križevci as the newest member of the Croatian Conference of Bishops. He then mentioned several significant events for the Church in Croatia that had occurred during the past several months and announced the most important topics of this session. He also greeted all who will follow the work of the plenum, particularly representatives of the media, and announced that there would be a press conference on Thursday, October 23.

As the host of the session, Bishop Želimir Puljić of Dubrovnik greeted all present, invoking upon them the blessing of the patron saint of Dubrovnik, St. Blaise, who has protected the city for ten centuries. He recalled the unforgettable events of 2003 when the Diocese of Dubrovnik was visited by Pope John Paul II of blessed memory, who led a magnificent liturgical celebration at Gruž Harbor. Msgr. Puljić pointed out on October 24 and 25, 1944, from precisely from that place, the Yugo-communists took approximately fifty distinguished people from Dubrovnik, including several priests, who were subsequently killed on the nearby island of Daksa. These people remain permanent witnesses to the dark period and horrific violence of communism which, with fascism and Nazism, represented the three sinister ideologies of the 20th century, i.e., the “three evils” as they were called by Pope John Paul II. Msgr. Puljić emphasized gratitude to God that our Church led by the bishops in those difficult times knew how to confront these “evils” courageously, although by doing so it endured intense persecution and martyrdom. In this manner, the Church gained many witnesses and martyrs, led by the Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac. Msgr. Puljić invoked their intercession for the present time, which is also burdened by various challenges to which the Church must respond. He emphasized that in this Year of the Priest, the spirituality and unity of priests is necessary because it was precisely the Church and national unity that were crucial during the difficult moments of our history. At the end, he mentioned that the Feast of St. Blaise had been added to the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which is the fruit of the faith and artistic creativity that has built the Christian community of the city for centuries. He thanked the bishops for coming and expressed the wish that their stay would bring a blessing to the city and its inhabitants.

Apostolic Nuncio Mario Roberto Cassari warmly greeted all present, pointing out that each session of the CCB confirms the strong bond between the Croatian episcopate and the Successor of Peter, as well as the unity of all the pastors of the Catholic Church in Croatia. He added that many challenges confront the bishops, particularly due to the global crisis. In this context, the encyclical Caritas in veritate (Love in Truth) of Pope Benedict XVI sheds light on new paths for achieving human advancement in love and truth, giving new hope for the future of the world and man. He emphasized that during this Year of the Priest, particular attention should be devoted to priests as the main partners in the episcopal ministry. Remembering with gratitude the episcopal service of Msgr. Slavomir Miklovš of Križevci, he welcomed Msgr. Kekić to membership in the CCB. At the end, he conveyed the greetings, feeling of closeness, love and remembrance in prayer of the Holy Father, and entrusted the work of the session to Our Lady, the Queen of the Apostles and the Throne of Wisdom.

The delegate and guests of the session greeted all present, expressing gratitude for being invited and the greetings they had received, and briefly reported on the most important Church events in their communities. The bishops discussed the process of the accession of Croatia to the European Union, pointing out that it is necessary to maintain the people’s awareness of their dignity, worth and identity, because only in this way can we enrich this community of nations with our entry.
Starting from the general situation in society, the bishops analyzed the situation of the believer in a plural society that is essentially characterized by permissiveness. In an introductory presentation, Msgr. Srakić pointed out that today many believe that our time is going through a period of moral involution (decline) similar to that during the period of Greco-Roman decadence, which was manifested as a moral crisis or “demoralization.” It is manifested as a quantitative increase in moral evil, as the “permissive” character of a society in which evil is considered normal, the adoption of so-called “permissive laws,” and by the amorality of the new type of man, the creator of the current society. Under the influence of doctrinal and practical atheism, the demoralization of principles themselves occurs, which in fact is the cause of the crisis of the modern world. It was emphasized that one of the factors that accelerates permissiveness is the tendency to silence the Church, not to listen to it and to drive it from the society into the sacristy. Nonetheless, the Church considers its main task to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. It does not renounce its mission, with the risks of being misunderstood, treated with enmity and persecuted. The dictatorship of relativism is created as a consequence of permissiveness, in which it seems that everything is permitted and there are no objective criteria. Today’s society permits much which until now had been forbidden and attempts to expand the area of tolerance, especially in the area of moral behavior and social relations. The laws adopted, nonetheless, do not have their ultimate root in the authority of the nation and its representatives, but instead in the power of natural and divine law. In this sense, absolute values such as life or ownership cannot be subject to the political game of voting. Permissiveness, entering into the social relationships and community life of people, obviously compromises the legitimate requirements of education (that children seek from parents), formation (that pupils seek from teachers) and fraternal admonitions (that individuals seek from their surroundings). The family, school and community life are in crisis precisely because such criteria have been introduced which, like worms, gnaw from within and spoil everything, although the structures remain untouched. Naturally in such an environment, the appeals from the public authorities to citizens for cooperation in attempts to stop some social ills fall upon deaf ears. Corruption spread to public administration, commercial fraud, abuse of political power etc. are flourishing on the soil of permissiveness, which is an accomplice in the disorder being complained about. There is nearly no area of public life without the ominous consequences of permissiveness.

Reviewing the situation, it is not difficult to conclude that it is dictated by practical atheism and religious indifference. In such a situation, the Church always re-emphasizes the hope that is in Jesus Christ, who died to free the world from the power of sin and ruin. He is the source of the security and salvation of man and the world. “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Today, we are witnesses that the society is disturbed by the voice of the Church, which calls for the respect of God’s laws and moral norms. This is manifested by clearly expressed enmity toward the Pope, bishops and priests. However, the Church, fulfilling its mission in the world, particularly urges the faithful to bear witness in faithfulness to their consciences, correctly formed and cultivated pursuant to the Word of God.

Moreover, Christians are urged not to model themselves according to the ethics of the world but to bear witness with their lives to the moral of the gospel as transmitted, interpreted and applied by the Church. Today’s society is experiencing crises of all kinds, the most profound of which is the moral crisis that has disrupted the scale of values. All feel the need for rebirth and renewal. This is only possible in such a way that man finds himself in the light of faith, in the light of the hope given to him through divine revelation. Only in such a way can man achieve the full meaning of his existence and change that which is unworthy in his personal and public life.

The bishops concluded that such a situation requires new pastoral reflection and the seeking of paths that will help the person to find the light of faith and open a more secure future. They entrusted several bodies of the CCB to expand this analysis and propose concrete steps for the future.
The bishops in principle accepted the basic document of the CCB for television and radio broadcasts of liturgical celebrations, which sheds new light and provides clear guidelines in order for the broadcasts to be faithful to that which is being transmitted, while respecting the nature and principles of the medium transmitting the broadcast.

The bishops analyzed the most recent encyclical by Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in veritate (Truth in Love), his first social encyclical. It starts from the basic premise that love is indeed the fundamental carrier of the power of the development of each individual and all of humanity. Consequently, the entire social doctrine of the Church is based upon this principle. Already in the introduction, there is emphasis upon the criteria of justice and the common good, to which solidarity and subsidiarity are subsequently added as essential for the just distribution of goods and the economic development of human society. These criteria indicate the importance of the moral quality of the person and the ethical virtues that apply equally to politicians, managers and consumers, contrary to the ethics of institutions. The Pope very clearly emphasizes the importance of anthropology, i.e., the truth about man. For him, love in truth about man that comes from the truth about God has no alternative and is the only path for the genuine development of human society, not so-called “sustainable” development but an integral development that implies both material and spiritual growth.

The Center for the Social Doctrine of the Church of the CCB has been entrusted with the task of presenting the encyclical to the faithful throughout Croatia in the best possible manner.
Work has continued on the text of the document on priestly formation that attempts to respond to the demands of modern man and society and help the Church educational institutions in the preparation of future priests for the contemporary cultural, general social and pastoral circumstances in which they will pursue their missions.
In the Year of the Priest proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI in June of this year, the bishops discussed the character of the priest and his pastoral office. It was emphasized that during this year, the greatest attention should be devoted to a priest’s spiritual development that comes from the performance of his office in which he is in daily contact with God, i.e., the mystery of the redemption and salvation to which he attempts to bear witness to all those to whom he is sent. The objective difficulties and problems encountered by the priest, which can only be overcome through sincere and completely devoted priestly life that does not tolerate half measures or improvisation, were emphasized. It was confirmed that numerous initiatives have been inaugurated in all the dioceses in connection with the Year of the Priest and that a joint pilgrimage of priests from all over Croatia will be organized at the national level on April 15, 2010. This pilgrimage will be organized in Zagreb, with a visit to the tomb of the Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his death, and a visit to the tomb of the Servant of God Fr. Ante Antić, who inspired today’s generations of priests through his devoted service as a confessor.

The bishops agreed that an annual pastoral-catechistic colloquium would be organized for priests starting in the year 2011.
Cardinal Bozanić reported to the bishops on his encounter with the Holy Father Benedict XVI during the Pope’s pastoral visit to the Czech Republic in late September of this year. The cardinal emphasized that on that occasion, as well as during the last ad limina visit by the bishops of the CCB to Rome in 2006, he had expressed the desire for the Holy Father to visit Croatia, stressing that 2010 will be the fiftieth anniversary of the death of the Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac. The Pope expressed readiness and willingness to come to Croatia.

The bishops analyzed the situation in society in detail, particularly from the aspect of the relationship between the Church and society. They concluded that they carefully follow the events that are important for the life of the person and future of the nation, and that the Justice and Peace Commission has regularly issued proclamations on current issues. This practice will continue.
Reports were adopted and plans approved for the work of the individual bodies of the CCB for next year.
The bishops expressed their support for the diocesan canonical process for the beatification of the Servant of God Mother Klara Žižić, the foundress of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate in Šibenik, as well as the initiation of the process for the beatification of Fr. Ivo Peran, O.F.M., from the Province of St. Jerome with headquarters in Zadar.

Bishop Mile Bogović of Gospić-Senj submitted a report on the construction of the Church of the Croatian Martyrs in Udbina. Fundraising for the construction of the church continues through an annual collection in September and other contributions.
Bishop Antun Škvorčević of Požega reported to the bishops on the status of the construction of the parish church in Stara Gradiška, which will also preserve the memory of the priests and other inmates in this infamous post-WWII communist prison. The church is being built through contributions from priests throughout Croatia.
Auxiliary Bishop Ivan Šaško of Zagreb has been appointed as the national delegate to the International Eucharistic Congresses.
The delegates of the CCB have been appointed for the sessions of other bishops’ conferences for the year 2010.
It was determined that the secretary of the Episcopal Commission of the CCB for the Liturgy will be the head of the Croatian Institute for Liturgical Pastoral Theology.

The mandates of the members of several bodies of the CCB were extended and new members were appointed to several bodies.
The date for the meeting of the bishops of the CCB and the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina was approved. The meeting will be held in Potoci near Mostar on May 24 and 25 of next year.
Dates were determined for sessions in the year 2010: a Special Plenary Session of the CCB will be held on January 25 in Zagreb, the Spring Plenary Session of the CCB will be held from April 12 to 14 in Zagreb, and the Autumn Plenary Session of the CCB will be held from October 19 to 21 on Lovran in the Archdiocese of Rijeka.
The bishops were informed about progress of the work at the construction site of the future CCB building at Ksaver.

As had been announced, the bishops visited the island of Daksa on Wednesday, October 21, where, with the participation of many of the faithful, they prayed for the innocent victims of the Yugo-communist authorities. The same day, in the overflowing Dubrovnik cathedral, there was concelebration of the Mass led by Archbishop Marin Srakić of Đakovo-Srijem, president of the CCB, who delivered the homily. On this occasion, there was also commemoration of the Daksa victims. Msgr. Srakić urged the faithful to pray for all the victims and for the future of our homeland.

Secretariat of the Croatian Conference of Bishops