The interdisciplinary scientific conference "Catholic Church and Secularism in Croatia and Europe" was held at CUC

The scientific conference Catholic Church and Secularism in Croatia and Europe was held on Friday, December 6, 2024 at the Croatian Catholic University in Zagreb, organized by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and the Croatian Institute of History. The conference brought together more than 20 scientists and 14 institutions from Croatia and abroad with the aim of an interdisciplinary discussion on the complex relations between the Catholic Church and secular society.

The gathering was opened with welcoming speeches by prof. Željko Tanjić, PhD, rector of the Catholic University of Croatia, and prof. Miroslav Akmadža, PhD, director of the Croatian Institute of History.

Having warned of the "confusion" that arises due to their misunderstanding, the first panel Theological and theoretical analysis began with the presentation of prof. Stjepan Baloban, PhD, on different interpretations of the terms secularism, secularity and secularization in the Croatian context. The presentation How to live without a supreme value was given by Dan Đaković, PhD, emphasizing that man is a political and religious being at the same time, and that none of these dimensions can be excluded from public action. Vine Mihaljević, PhD, and Stipe Tadić, PhD, spoke about secularization as a social construct, while associate professor Davorka Topić Stipić, PhD, and Mateja Topić Crnoja, mag. oec., investigated the complexity of secularization, relying on the works of Taylor, Casanova and Halik. The panel provided a rich underlying conceptual framework for understanding the complexities of secularism in the context of the Catholic Church.

The second panel focused on the historical relations between Church, state and politics, providing insight into the complex interactions at different historical levels. Assoc. prof. Dubravka Božić Bogović, PhD, presented an analysis of canonical visitations in eastern Croatia, emphasizing their importance for understanding church and social dynamics in that part of the country. Rudolf Barišić, PhD, spoke about the role of the Franciscans of Bosnia Srebrena in the process of desecularization, emphasizing their influence on social and political changes. Tomislav Kardum presented Maček's attitude towards the Church, illuminating the political challenges and dilemmas of his time, while Marino Erceg, mag. comm., investigated the relationship between the Church and the government in communist Yugoslavia, emphasizing strategies of adaptation and resistance within the repressive system. Jakov Žižić, PhD, and Anamarija Maksimčuk, mag. comm., investigated how Franja Tuđman's views on Christian values ​​shaped HDZ's policy towards the Church. Asst. prof. Marián Sekerák, PhD, analyzed the political interventions of the Slovak Catholic hierarchy in issues such as the rights of the LGBTIQ community, the pro-life movement and education policy.

The final panel Church and secular society in the contemporary context dealt with current challenges. Posing hypotheses about the impact of artificial intelligence on democracy and the transformation of religion, assoc. prof. Ivica Šola, PhD, reflected on the dynamic relationship between the secular and the sacred in the digital age, emphasizing the impact of technology on spirituality and religious practice. Prof. Frane Staničić, PhD, analyzed the legal aspects of the relationship between the state and the Church, with special emphasis on borders and mutual cooperation in secular society. In co-authorship with Assoc. prof. Luka Šikić, PhD, assistants Hana Kilijan, mag. comm., and Veronika Novoselac, mag. hist et mag. comm., presented an analysis of media coverage of the meetings of young Catholics, while Jakov Blagojević, mag. hist., analyzed the interpretation of secularism in the reports of female ombudsmen. Željka Markić spoke about the phenomenon of scapegoating the Catholic Church in the media, and Assoc. prof. Boris Havel, PhD, on the relationship between the Church, the secular world and Israel.

The meeting was concluded with a panel discussion that showed that it is a complex topic that requires a careful analysis of historical, legal, sociological and theological aspects, especially in the context of contemporary social challenges.