engleski

Croatian Model of Regulating 'Church-State' relations as a role model for the Region?

Southeastern Europe is unfortunately very well known for its conflicts and hostilities in the last few decades. Many observers are insisting that many of those conflicts are connected and in the close connection with religious identity and that religion is just another label which contributed to the cultural wars which took place in that part of the World. Religion is often used for political purposes and at the same time religious communities are too weak in showing that spiritual force they possess could lead to mutual cooperation between religious communities themselves and also to show that there is mutual ground to work together with the state on various issues. Secular state does not necessarily mean being state of secularized life: a place where there isn’t any space left for presence of religion and religious organizations in the public domain. Croatia which also had turbulent recent history, today, as a member of EU and NATO developed special model of regulation of relationship with religious communities and organizations and it is regarded as a country with high level of religious freedom, not just regionally but also in the European context. By signing agreements with more than dozen religious groups, Croatia become a role model in this field ; a country where religious communities work together horizontally between themselves and vertically as important factors in relations to the State as a partner.

Law, Religion, State, Church-State Relations, Religious Freedom

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