Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.3935/rsp.v12i3.84
Caritative Work of the Catholic Church as the Starting Point of Social Work in Croatia
Stjepan Baloban
; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Abstract
The paper mainly discusses the caritative work of the Catholic Church in Croatia in the first half of the 20th century. The author proceeds from the fact that social problem area and the activity of the Catholic Church in the social sphere in the aforementioned period are still “unexplored areas”. This renders the research on the connection between the caritative work of the Catholic Church and social work in Croatia more difficult. It would be necessary to first research a very abundant social activity of the Catholic Church in that historical period. As an example of this abundant social activity, the author mentions the role and activity of Vilko Anderlić, who was ‘barely known to have existed’ until a few years ago, as well as the example of the foundation and activity of the Caritas Archdiocese of Zagreb. Both examples confirm the assumption of the importance of social and especially caritative work of the Catholic Church until the end of World War II. After 1945, the Church was not permitted social and caritative activity in former Yugoslavia. With respect to the possibility of the caritative activity of the Catholic Church, the situation has improved after the democratic changes in 1990.
It should be supposed that the caritative work of the Catholic Church significantly influenced the development of social work in Croatia. The author emphasises the importance of the interdisciplinary dialogue of experts, as the protection of human dignity, that is becoming more and more threatened in contemporary life conditions, is central to both the caritative work of the Catholic Church and social work in Croatia
Keywords
caritative work; social work; Caritas of the Archdiocese of Zagreb; the magazine Caritas; interdisciplinary dialogue
Hrčak ID:
30240
URI
Publication date:
8.12.2005.
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