Catholic Church in Croatia

The Catholic Church in Croatia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church and follows the guidance of the Pope. The main group, called the Latin Church, is led by the Croatian Bishops' Conference and is centered in the city of Zagreb. It includes five big areas called archdioceses, thirteen smaller areas called dioceses, and one special area for military leaders called a military ordinariate. Dražen Kutleša serves as the Archbishop of Zagreb.

In 2011, many people in Croatia were baptized Latin Catholics, and some were baptized Eastern Catholics of the Greek Catholic Church of Croatia and Serbia. Together, they made up most of the country's population. By 2021, many people in Croatia identified as Catholic. Church attendance in Croatia is higher than in many other European Catholic countries.

An important place for Catholics in Croatia is the national Marian shrine located in Marija Bistrica. The country's patron saint is Saint Joseph, a title given by the Croatian Parliament in 1687.

History

Roman Illyrians and early Christianity

The western part of the Balkan Peninsula was taken over by the Roman Empire by 168 BC. This happened after a long time of fighting called the Illyrian Wars. Being part of the Roman Empire brought new religions to the area, including Christianity. Christianity became the main religion of the Roman Empire in 391.

Salona, the main city of the area called Dalmatia, was one of the first places here to follow Christianity. St. Titus, a follower of St. Paul the Apostle, worked in Dalmatia.

Conversion of the Croats

The Croats moved into the area of Croatia today after winning a war against the Avars. We do not know much about the "Baptism of the Croats", but we know it happened peacefully and freely starting in the 7th century. After their baptism, the Croats promised to never attack another country and to live in peace with others who wanted peace.

Middle Ages

Signs that the Church was growing can be seen from the mid-or-late-8th century. The main church center changed from Salona to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zadar, and later to the Archbishopric of Spalathon (Split) in the late-8th century.

Croatian leaders built churches and monasteries. Pope Nicholas I told bishops and church leaders that they could not build new churches without the Pope's approval.

From the 9th to 10th century, Croatia had a special way of doing Catholic services. They used the Church Slavonic language and Glagolitic script, which were approved by Pope Adrian II and Pope John VIII.

After the Great Schism

During the time of the East–West Schism in 1054, Croatian kings supported the Holy See. King Demetrius Zvonimir was crowned in 1075 or 1076 in Salona by a representative of Pope Gregory VII.

By the 11th and 12th century, there were about 50 Benedictine monasteries.

Austrian Empire/Austria-Hungary

The Austrian Empire made an agreement called a concordat with the Holy See in 1855. This agreement shaped the Catholic Church inside the empire.

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

In Yugoslavia, Croatian church leaders were part of the Bishops' Conference of Yugoslavia.

The Catholic Church faced challenges in the new kingdom. The government favored the Serbian Orthodox Church, and after a change in leadership in 1929, some Catholic groups were closed.

The Church in the Independent State of Croatia

In 1941, a country called the Independent State of Croatia was created with help from Nazi Germany. Its leader was Ante Pavelić and his Ustaše movement.

The Church in communist Yugoslavia

After World War II, Croatia was part of a new country led by communists. At first, there were plans for more freedom for religious groups.

In 1945, a retired bishop from Dubrovnik was killed by the new government.

In 1952, the communist government stopped all religious education in public schools.

The Church in the Republic of Croatia

After Croatia became independent from Yugoslavia, the Catholic Church gained more freedom and influence again.

During the war for Croatia's independence, old religious differences were sometimes used as reasons for conflict, which sadly led to damage to many churches.

Today, the Catholic Church in Croatia plays an important role in social and public life. It supports ideas such as having Sunday as a day of rest, teaching about religion in schools, protecting traditional marriage, and helping families plan their families naturally. It also speaks against certain medical choices and against using medicine to help avoid having babies.

Demographics

The 2011 census in Croatia showed that about 3.7 million people, or 86% of the country's population, were Catholics. These Catholics included mostly Croats, but also people from other groups such as Italians, Hungarians, Czechs, Roma, Slovenes, Albanians, Slovaks, Serbs, Germans, Ruthenians, Ukrainians, and others.

Organisation

The Catholic Church in Croatia is organized into groups led by bishops. The main group of bishops is called the Croatian Conference of Bishops, and it is led by the Archbishop of Zagreb, Dražen Kutleša.

There are special groups of Franciscans, such as the one based in Zagreb, Zadar, and Split. Other religious groups include Dominicans, Jesuits, Salesians, and Carmelites. Croatia has also had missionaries who worked in places like India, Peru, and Rwanda.

Places of Pilgrimage of the Croats

Some important places where people gather for religious visits in Croatia include Aljmaš, Ludbreg, Our Lady of Marija Bistrica, Our Lady of Sinj, and Our Lady of Trsat. These places are special for many in the Catholic community.

Caritative work

Archbishop Aloysius Stepinac started a group called Caritas in Zagreb in the 1930s to help people. Another leader before him, Josip Lang, also encouraged this kind of work. Later, in 1989, leaders in Yugoslavia created a Caritas group, which became Caritas Croatia in the early 1990s.

Today, there are many Catholic groups that help others, like Marijini obroci (Mary's meals) and Kap dobrote ('Drop of goodness').

Education

The Catholic Church in Croatia has schools for religious studies in Zagreb, Split, Đakovo, and Rijeka. The Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Sciences in Zagreb is run by the Jesuits.

There are Catholic seminaries in Zagreb, Split, Zadar, and Sinj to prepare future church leaders. Croatia also has Catholic schools for children and teenagers in cities such as Rijeka, Zadar, Zagreb, Šibenik, Split, Dubrovnik, Slavonski Brod, and Sinj.

Media

The Catholic Church has helped keep Croatian culture alive and shaped Croatian literature. Many famous writers, such as poets (Marko Marulić, Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević, Antun Branko Šimić) and playwrights, were inspired by the Church. Some of the first printed books in Croatia, called incunabulas, are linked to the Church, as are early written records like the Baška tablet.

Today, Catholic media still plays an important role. The weekly newspaper Glas Koncila is very influential. During the Croatian War of Independence in the 1990s, the Croatian Catholic News Agency was created, followed by Croatian Catholic Radio in 1997. In 2015, Laudato TV, a private Catholic TV station, began broadcasting. In 2018, the news agency and the radio joined together to form the Croatian Catholic Network.

There are also many publishing houses and scientific journals linked to the Church, and popular TV and radio stations often include special programs about Christian beliefs.

Attitudes

Most people in Croatia say they are Catholics, but many do not always agree with the Church's teachings. A survey in 2017 found that only 27% went to church regularly. Many people had different views on important topics like marriage, family life, and what the Church teaches about choices people make. For example, 66% supported the Church's view on same-sex marriage, but only 25% agreed with its teachings about birth control, and 43% agreed with allowing women to be priests.

Controversies

The Catholic Church in Croatia has faced some criticism. Some people say the church has allowed certain ideas and symbols to be shown during its events. For example, some groups have worn old military symbols during church services.

There have also been statements made by church leaders that some people found upsetting. These comments have led to discussions about how the church should act and speak to its members and the wider community.

Notable people

Main page: Category:Croatian Roman Catholics

Here are some important people from the Catholic Church in Croatia:

• Josip Bozanić, a leader in the Church
• Ivan Burik, a priest who died during a war
• Juraj Dobrila, a bishop from the 1800s
• Marija Krucifiksa Kozulić, who started a special group of nuns
• Franjo Kuharić, a leader in the Church
• Antun Mahnić, who began an important movement in the Church
• Ivan Merz, a devoted member of the Church
• Alojzije Stepinac, a bishop during a difficult time
• Josip Juraj Strossmayer
• Franjo Šeper, a leader who helped change the Church
• Mihalj Šilobod Bolšić (1724–1787), a priest who was also a mathematician and writer

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