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CROAT CATHOLICISM AND STJEPAN RADiĆ'S IDEOLOGICAL FORMATION (1893 – 1914)
Jure Krišto
; Institut za suvremenu povijest, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sažetak
By his own admission, confirmed by testimony of his contemporaries, Stjepan Radić (1871–1928), one of the most important politician in modem Croat history, Christian faith was important in his personal life as well as in shaping of his politics. Nevertheless, the nature of Radić's personal belief and the impact of Christianity on his political strategy bas barely been analyzed in Croat historiography. It is the intention of this study to alleviate this problem, and, at the same time, to open a debate about the role of the Catholic church in modern Croat history.
After a brief consideration of the sources of Radić's ideology, the article analyzes his understanding of Christianity, which often resulted in his bitter critique of »clericalism«. In this context, the criticism of Radić by the Catholic clergy is juxtaposed to his evaluation of the political involvement of the church. The study concludes with an assessment of Radić's understanding of Catholic faith and of the Catholic clergy's efforts to build a political party.
A brief description of Radić's ideology is raising of peasants, now deprived and marginalized segment of society, to the status of a, dominant historical force, which will, assisted by other Slavs and enlightened by liberal views, become a decisive factor in Croat and south-Slavic politics and social development. Several independent factors constitute this ideological premise. On the one hand, his personal experience of poverty and political deprivation of peasants and, on the other hand, the example of his peasant mother ever ready to fight against the political pigeon-holing of peasants, enabled Radić to become a ceaseless advocate of peasant cause. In the ambiance of his family and village, Radić also acquired a sense of Christian values as a dominant moral fabric of the majority of his people. Radić never doubted that this Christian world-view must be preserved as a basis of future Croat society. In line with nineteen-century liberalism, however, Radić wanted to enlighten Croat peasants not only regarding their political rights but concerning their Christianity as well. In contrast to the dominant political wisdom of the time, Radić wanted to broaden peasant horizons to include interests of all Slavs, particularly the Southern ones, as a bulwark against the cultural and economic invasion of Germans and Magyars. Through the exposure to Masaryk's ideas, he expanded his own po1itical horizons, and this influence served him well in the propagation of his ideological views, particularly regarding the place and role of the Catholic church in Croat society.
Although Radić's anticlericalism was not as blatant as that of some other groups in Croatia at the turn of the century, a certain initial ambiguity toward the Catholic church, which was progressively to become openly anti-Catholic, is present in his writing and even in the program of his Croat people's peasant party (Hrvatska pučka seljačka stranka – HPSS) (1904). Radić's critique of the Catholic church and the clergy was clearly in function of his ideology, particularly its premises about Slavic mutuality and yugoslavism; he criticized the church far meddling in politics only when the clergy did not agree with his political and ideological views; he wanted the Catholic church to be more narodna and more democratic, in the model of Orthodox churches; he criticized the political antipathy of popes toward Croats and the Catholic clergy as unable to be loyal patriots while serving this hostile political force; and was particularly harsh toward those that worked on establishing a Catholic political party.
An evaluation of Radić's judgment about the Catholic church and its role in Croat politics ought to be nuanced and multi-faceted. He was undoubtedly a religious man, particularly impressed by the simpleness and directness of the Gospel message. His siding with the plight of the poor Croat peasants made him into a defender of the oppressed of Jesus' imprint. Nonetheless, under the influence of Masaryk and liberalism of domestic provenance, his personal faith was closer to an evangelical form of expression than catholicism, especially in its contemporary form. This personal predilection colored much of his criticism of the Croat catholicism. The leadership of the Croat catholicism, on the other hand, attuned to an aristotle-thomistic world-view and convinced of the unchallenged backing of its peasant faithful, was neither able to see the need for change nor much concerned about new spiritual realities that surround it. And the small number of priests dedicated to creation of a Catholic political party was concerned more about dislodging Radić and other political opponents than about creating coalitions that may benefit
the political future of the nation in spite of ideological differences. Thus, both Radić and his Catholic political opponents substantiate the thesis chat Croats have often been better creators of ideologies or pushers of those that others create than pragmatic political practitioners.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
206690
URI
Datum izdavanja:
2.4.1992.
Posjeta: 1.961 *