Statement Issued from the Meeting of the Council of the Croatian Conference of Bishops for Ecumenism and Dialogue Held on October 27, 2015

Zagreb, (IKA) – On Tuesday, October 27, 2015, a regular meeting of the Council of the Croatian Conference of Bishops for Ecumenism and Dialogue was held in Zagreb, with the Council president, Bishop Vlado Košić of Sisak, Ph.D., presiding.
With regards to the approaching World Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January 2016, the Council confirmed that this year the Christians of the Croatian-speaking region and general public will have a prayer manual and informative material from the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Ecumenical Council of Churches available, both in a printed version and on the Internet, prepared for the year 2016 by Christians from Latvia, with the theme “Called to Proclaim the Praises of the Lord” (cf. 1 Pt 2:9, But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light). The printed manual published every year by the Council of the Croatian Conference of Bishops for Ecumenism and Dialogue, together with the Ecumenical Coordination Committee of the Churches in Croatia, is sent to approximately 2,000 addresses of parishes, monasteries, convents, communities and institutions of Christian churches in Croatia, and can be purchased at every Kršćanska sadašnjosti bookstore. The Council hopes that the fostering of the practice of common prayer by the Christian churches in Croatia will continue at all levels, from the laity to the hierarchy, so that all of us may follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who prays for the unity of all his disciples (Jn 17:20–23) and rejoices when the pastors of the Christian churches serve as an example to their faithful by attending prayer meetings during the Week of Prayer.
The canonization of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac is a frequent subject of public discussion. Following the beatification of Cardinal Stepinac and his elevation to the honors of the altar in Croatia and the world, where the faithful pray for his intercession, the Council notes with sorrow that among many of the Catholic faithful in Croatia, at all levels, from the lay faithful, priests, nuns to the hierarchy and scholars-theologians, there are some confusion, perplexity and, not infrequently, disappointment. Therefore, the Council urges and requests all those who speak and write about this topic to approach it responsibly and competently, basing everything on the verified information from those who are the best informed about the nature, method, intention, purpose and dynamics of the canonization process. At the same time, the Council expresses concern, which we share with many Catholic faithful, that this case of the postponement of the canonization of the Blessed Alojzije should not lead to a deterioration of good ecumenical relations, especially between the Catholic Church in Croatia and the Serbian Orthodox Church. The members of the Council hope that despite the current sensitivities and anxieties, the holiness, humanity, greatness and courage of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac will blaze even more brightly, and fervently pray that the postponement of his canonization and whatever else is eventually undertaken in this respect do not set back but instead further the ecumenical rapprochement between these two Churches of Christ.
Given the current refugee situation, which also has ecumenical and interreligious dimensions, the Council notes the multilayered nature, broad context and depth of this issue, and expresses sincere Christian solidarity with all those who suffer through no fault of their own but due to factors that do not depend on them. It is high time for those who hold the real power to coordinate all their actions, to the extent possible, with the principles of humanity, justice and solidarity. Jesus Christ’s words in the Gospel According to Matthew irrevocably apply to all Christians: Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me (Mt 25:45).
The members of the Council also discussed other interchurch and interreligious activities in the world and our country. The Council secretary, Dr. Jure Zečević, reported on the Synod of the Anglican Eastern European Archdeaconry, held from October 24 to 27, 2015, at the Marijin Dvor Spiritual/Educational Center in Lužnica, during which on October 27, 2015, Msgr. Enco Rodinis, General Secretary of the CCB: Dr. Jure Zečević, Secretary of the Council of the CCB for Ecumenism and Dialogue; and Ms. Marija Znidarčić, a member of the Council, received 25 representatives at the CCB from the Anglican communities in Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest, Izmir, Ankara, Istanbul, Crete, Corfu, Athens, Warsaw, Kiev, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Belgrade, led by Ms. Janet Berković, the lay leader of the Anglican community in Zagreb. On behalf of all the representatives, the Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Europe, Robert Innes; Archdeacon Patrick Curran (Vienna) and Archdeacon Colin Williams (Frankfurt) spoke enthusiastically about their stay in Croatia and hospitable reception. The benefits of becoming acquainted with Christians from various traditions were emphasized in greetings, speeches and pleasant informal communication, as was the need for the consistent promotion of the values of the gospel.