Zagreb, (IKA) – On April 25, the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Center for the Promotion of the Social Doctrine of the Church of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, a commemoration was held in the auditorium of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute. In addition to numerous associates and friends of the Center, representatives of the Office of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, scholars from the theological and humanistic colleges, the commemoration was attended by the archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić; the president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Bishop Marin Srakić of Đakovo-Srijem; the bishop of Poreč-Pula, Ivan Milovan; and the auxiliary bishops of Zagreb, Vlado Košić, Valentin Pozaić and Ivan Šaško. Presenting a historical review, Cardinal Bozanić mentioned the encyclical Rerum novarum of1891, which provided new impetus for the development of the social doctrine of the Church and the social dimensions of Christian spirituality suitable to the time. Speaking about its repercussions in Croatia, he pointed out that the bishops and lay faithful very quickly accepted Pope Leo XIII’s initiative and held the first Catholic meeting at which social topics were specifically discussed in the year 1900. After that, particularly through the efforts of the bishop of Krk, Antun Mahnić, they developed various lay organizations inspired by the desire for the engagement and development of the social dimension of Christianity. In the 1930s, a young priest who later became the archbishop of Zagreb, Alojzije Stepinac, played a particularly important role in promoting social topics. After World War II, there was nearly a half century of forced inactivity regarding the organized social activities of the Church. However, the Church did not abandon its calling. During that period, it found a way to engage in social activity and emphasized the importance of safeguarding human rights, freedom, truth and justice through its pastors, priests, religious and nuns, said Cardinal Bozanić. He briefly reminisced about the initial steps after independence: the Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the First Social Encyclical organized by the Catholic Faculty of Theology (KBF) in Zagreb (1991), the Assembly of Croatian Lay Faithful under the auspices of the Council of the Croatian Conference of Bishops for the Laity (1992) and Study Days (1995). He noted that the Center formally began operations on March 5, 1998. Ten years later, the Center has become a recognized institution in the Church and society. Through its work and initiatives, it has created the prerequisites for developing the long neglected social dimension of religion and a social doctrine of the Church suitable for modern times. Today, owing to the work of the Center, the prerequisites have been created for reviving many social initiatives of the Church and the lay faithful, including realistic consideration of reinstating Social Weeks in Croatia, which perhaps represent the first challenge of the Center in the second decade of its operation, said Cardinal Bozanić.
Bishop Srakić offered his congratulations, praised the readiness of the Center leadership to expand the sphere of operations and mentioned a series of activities in cooperation with the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Đakovo, as well as research conducted in Istria and Lika. Bishop Srakić particularly noted that the Center is a place for motivating the lay faithful, particularly intellectuals, to participate actively in the Church and society.
The president of the Governing Council of the Center, Bishop Vlado Košić, pointed out that the Center is an example of an institution that connects the old and the new, that has its own continuity. The center finds new modalities of activity but does not abandon the old ones. As the president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Bishop Košić pointed out that cooperation between the Center and Commission has been very good and that the Center has been the professional logistics of the Commission. The Center also enjoys good cooperation with other institutions and offices of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, publishing houses, schools of theology, unions and the Ivo Pilar Social Studies Institute. The head of the Center, Gordan Črpić, has been a member of the Parliamentary Commission for Human Rights, and thus has made many valuable contacts, said Bishop Košić.
In a presentation entitled “The Center in the Croatian Society,” Dr. Stjepan Baloban pointed out that the guiding principle of the work of the Center has been to be a place of encounter and discussion for people of various opinions, especially intellectuals, who are open to dialogue and prepared to confront all the important questions regarding the improvement of the spiritual, religious, moral and material life of Croats and all Croatian citizens in an interdisciplinary manner, based upon the social magisterium of John Paul II. As a completely “new Church institution,” the Center was warmly welcomed in the Croatian society with great expectations. With the approval of Cardinal Franjo Kuharić and the bishop of Krk and president of the Council for the Laity at the time, who later became the archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, the Center embarked on its own path, despite suggestions from other countries. The Croatian bishops, especially Cardinal Bozanić, who for many years served as the president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, supported the work of the Center in Croatia and other countries, providing it with the necessary freedom of operation. The Center has gathered Croatian intellectuals of various provenances regarding important topics for the Croatian future who, despite various approaches and viewpoints, have sought common solutions for a better Croatian future. Thus, the Center has provided a place of dialogue, “a place of public discussion” which, via the media and by word of mouth, has gradually entered the Croatian society. It is possible to discuss difficult topics without “raised voices and tension,” it is possible to speak sincerely and without “hidden intentions,” it is possible to change opinions through conversations and well-founded discussion, and much is possible which at first glance seemed “nearly impossible,” emphasized Dr. Baloban. He concluded that the Croatian society and Croatian Church need as many people and institutions as possible that will make various encounters feasible and called for the necessary dialogue. “Let us all, our bishops, the faithful in the Church, public officials and the media, support the activity of the Center in order for it to be able to continue to develop as a ‘Croatian product’ needed by the Church and the Croatian society,” urged Dr. Baloban at the end of his presentation.
During the commemoration, there was a presentation of a book entitled “The Center for the Promotion of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Tenth Anniversary of Operations, 1998 – 2008 (Centar za promicanje socijalnog nauka Crkve. Deseta obljetnica djelovanja, 1998. – 2008), written by Stjepan Baloban, Gordan Črpić and Marijana Kompes. The presentation was conducted by the head of the Ivo PIlar Institute for Social Sciences, Dr. Vlado Šakić, and Dr. Josip Grbac, professor of moral theology in Rijeka.
A symposium has held on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Center, Social Thought in the Church and Society.