Professor Črpić held a lecture "Relationship between priests and lay people" on the Priests' Day of the Diocese of Sisak

On Thursday, February 13, 2025, our vice-rector for organization and financial affairs, prof. Gordan Črpić, PhD, held a lecture "Relationship between priests and lay people" on the Priests' Day of the Diocese of Sisak, as reported by the Public Relations Office of the Diocese of Sisak and IKA.

In the lecture, prof. Črpić spoke about the importance of the relationship between clergy and laity within the Church and society, stressing that this relationship is of a relational nature, which is a fundamental feature of Christianity. Historically, Christianity brings the concept of relationship and communion, unlike the Aristotelian philosophy of substance.

Speaking about the challenges in relations between clergy and laity today, he warned about the global problem of dialogue in modern society, which is becoming increasingly difficult because the common search for truth is being lost. Truth is no longer the primary value in communication, but is often replaced by information that serves to position power. He particularly warned about modern media and social networks, which further complicate the distinction between truth and misinformation, which could be seen in the coronavirus pandemic, he pointed out.

He also said that the modern world is losing its desire for dialogue and is replacing it with polemics in which the goal is to defeat the opponent, not to reach a common understanding. In the following, he presented data relating to the period from 1999 to 2018, and concerning the trust of Croats towards institutions, including the Church, religiosity of the population, going to mass, personal prayer and the like.

As a possible way forward, Črpić emphasized the necessity of restoring trust and togetherness, with an emphasis on the community. He concluded that the possibility of dialogue in today's society is something that must be constantly nurtured. Although the challenges are great, the path towards the restoration of trust, the building of unity and better dialogue is still possible. This path requires courage, willingness to sacrifice and get out of our personal comfort zones, as well as openness to new experiences and relationships. In the end, the key to everything is good, because only through kindness and true empathy can we build deeper, healthier communities, either within the Church or in wider society, pointed out prof. Črpić.

In the second part of the meeting, Bishop Košić reported on current affairs and upcoming events in the diocese. He announced the Lenten deanery meetings from March 11 to April 8, where together with the priests, they will discuss the conclusions of the Synod and ways of implementing them. He introduced the crowd to the Hrvatsko Caritas campaign "Save the Kuna from Perdition" and the regional meeting of people open to Catholic marriage "God joins the incongruous", which will be held on February 22 in the Parish of St. Quirina in Sisak. The bishop reflected on the previous Prayer Breakfast and thanked everyone for their participation, and he encouraged those gathered to make a Pilgrimage to Rome.

At the end, commissioners and heads of individual offices presented their plans and activities for the future period. The next priest's day will be held on March 6, and the guest lecturer will be Don Đuliano Trdić, reported the Office for Public Relations of the Diocese of Sisak.

Text and photos: Informativna katolička agencija