Zagreb, (IKA) – On the occasion of the relocation of the Croatian Catholic Radio station to the new headquarters of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and its integration into the Croatian Catholic Network, President of the CCB, Archbishop Želimir Puljić of Zadar; the President of the Council of the CCB for the Media, Archbishop Ivan Devčić of Rijeka; Anita Malenica of the Agency for Electronic Media; the Director of the Croatian Catholic Network, Msgr. Fabijan Svalina; and the Editor-in-Chief, Siniša Kovačić, were guests on a program broadcast on July 7 by Croatian Catholic Radio.

“This network is among the miraculous things that occurred in the twenty-first century. The Croatian Catholic Network is a medium in which Croatian identity and Catholicism are emphasized, and its primary office is evangelization,” said Archbishop Puljić, who blessed the work of all the employees and expressed the hope for a community to be formed here. “Through this community, we bear witness to that which Our Lord authorized us to do, to encourage the people through this medium to do good,” concluded the President of the Croatian Conference of Bishops.

Archbishop Devčić spoke about the Church’s participation in the media, emphasizing that the Church has been at the forefront in the use and creation of the media. “Throughout history, to the extent that circumstances permitted, the Church has worked with the media, in which it recognized an ally and not an opponent,” said Msgr. Devčić, adding that the Church itself is a medium that conveys the Word of God, God’s message of the salvation of humankind in every age. “The Church tries to find a suitable language and ways to proclaim the joyful news of the Gospel to man, for him to recognize himself in it and to discover his place in it, his role, to discover how much God loves him. The network also exists so that the Church can better fulfill its mission in the world,” said the President of the Committee of the Croatian Conference of Bishops for the Media.

There should be several different media outlets, in order to enable consumers to access what interests them, according to Anita Malenica of the Agency for Electronic Media, who wished the network and all of its employees success. “The fact that over 85% of the people living in Croatia are believers who declare themselves as Christians and Catholics indicates that there is a platform upon which people can be approached. It is very important for the Church to have a way to reach its faithful,” said Anita Malenica. “Our task is to provide a legal framework in which it can operate.”

The Director of the Croatian Catholic Network, Msgr. Fabijan Svalina, emphasized that the purpose for the establishment of this network is evangelization, which will direct the faithful to the joyful news of the gospel. The Editor-in-Chief of the network, Siniša Kovačić, thanked all the listeners for their support. He mentioned that the Church is frequently criticized because it has not found a way to reach young people but now, with the establishment of the network, this has changed. “While we are planning to reach out to the young, we must also express our gratitude to our many loyal listeners who are truly with us every day,” said Kovačić.