Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 79 No. 4, 2009.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
The Position and Role of the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, Twenty Years after the Fall of Communism
Josip Baloban
; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sažetak
In his introductory reminiscence, the author starts from the declarative and realistic ruin of the communist system however, pointing out that despite the fall of communism occurring over 20 years ago, the communist mentality has not completely disappeared yet. The author then points out that the Church in Central and Eastern Europe has not overcome the ghetoisation it has been exposed to over the past couple of decades - at the personal, social and partially structural level. So far the Church in post-communist countries has not sufficiently fulfilled its historical and millennial mission to continually raise its prophetic voice against all forms of social injustice. The Church has not actively influenced political and economic developments through its members nor has it stood firmly on side with the oppressed. This brings its credibility into question because the Church in Central and Eastern Europe is often faced with the danger of conforming to the State. At the same time it is faced with the danger of becoming too ecclesiacentric and lacking social direction as well as self-criticism. In some countries this has led to a constant decline of trust in the Church as an institution (Croatia, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovenia). In the second part of the article, the author scales through expectations and duties of Churches based on the results of empirical research of religion and Churches in Central and Eastern European countries - Aufbruch II, 2007. The results indicate that Churches are expected to be social factors that contribute to spiritual, educational, social and morally-ethic fields as well as an expectation that they be a corrective for politicians and finally that they do not appear officially to often in public. The author concludes that the Churches in Central and Eastern Europe haven't quite completed repositioning themselves within society and as such have not overcome the trend of becoming ghettoised. In these countries an overturn in mentality has not occurred either - socially or politically - nor has an overturn in mentality occurred in pastorale. Instead individual Churches have satisfied themselves with being present in public as mere ritual-folklore. This indirectly admits failure of any resolute affirmation of the social dimension of faith and ecclesiality in society in which it lives and acts which has led to a non-integration of Churches through their members in the fields of science and culture. This in itself brings into question the success of evangelisation of the public.
Ključne riječi
Church (Churches); faith; Europe; the Church's position; overcoming ghetoisation; mentality; expectations; change of mentality
Hrčak ID:
45138
URI
Datum izdavanja:
18.12.2009.
Posjeta: 1.521 *