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Free Sunday Campaign - A Case Study from Croatia

The intent of this article is to evaluate the course of Free Sunday Campaign – the advocacy initiative originally launched in 2003 by Croatian Caritas and Franciscan Institute for the Culture of Peace and later joined by a number of major trade unions and Centre for the Promotion of Social Teaching of the Church. The author seeks to analyse its proceeding by considering theological and ethical reasons that prompted its launch, to present its operational methodology, and to explore its intended and achieved goals. An aftermath period between 2009-2019 is also taken into account, including the foundation of Croatian Sunday Alliance as an effort to revive the Free Sunday cause. Toward the conclusion, the author argues that this Campaign successfully served to pave the way for other socially engaged initiatives based on the participation of lay believers and citizens, although there might be some significant differences between them concerning their cohesive potential for the Croatian society at large. Finally, the author also posits that Campaign managed to indicate that authenticity of Catholic Church social presence will depend on the engagement of lay believers, on effective promotion of solidarity with the exploited and on healing (rather than divisive) nature of its pursuits.

Free Sunday ; Croatian Sunday Alliance ; voluntarism ; solidarity ; lay participation

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