Original scientific paper
Persecution of Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the communist rule (1945–1990)
Ivan LUČIĆ
Abstract
Communist Party of Yugoslavia interpreted Marx materialistic philosophy and his thesis that religion was »opium for the people« in radically vulgar manner. Consequently, they fought against religion and against capitalism as the root of the religion. This »struggle«
was quite beyond a »philosophical category« including brutal physical clash, which was actually extermination of the opponents. In order to construct a new order and their rule in the new Yugoslav state, gained in the aftermath of the World War II, communists sought
to change people’s minds, which they considered and called »masses«. The first stepping stone on that path was elimination, or at least weakening, of the Church and subsequently imposing atheism. On the other hand, Catholic Church opposed this new social regime and publicly emphasized its deep anticommunist stances. Thus, Church, as the only organized ideological (i.e. political) opponent, led a harsh battle against communist regime. Consequently, in Bosnia and Herzegovina this uneven struggle often turned into terror against Church and its followers.
Keywords
Catholic Church; communism; Yugoslavia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croats; repression
Hrčak ID:
90083
URI
Publication date:
15.6.2012.
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