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THE CONVERSIONS IN THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF CROATIA - THE CASE OF THE ŠIBENIK DIOCESE
Jure Krišto
; Hrvatski institut za povijest, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sažetak
The question of religious conversions has always been a thorny issue in the Balkan territory, because it is often confused with the issue of nationality. The problem of religious conversions in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) (1941-1945) was no exception. Soon after its foundation, the newly established government issued laws, which abolished existing ones pertaining to religious conversions and allowed conversions to one of the »legally recognized religions«. Even though it is not explicitely mentioned, the aim of the law was to allow »conversions« of the Orthodox to Protestantism. Islam or Catholicism, since the government believed that the traditionally strong oppositin to the Croatian state of that segment of the population greatly depended on the influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church on it.
Contrary to the presuppositions of historiography in former Yugoslavia, the author argues that one of the greatest problems in the relationship between Church and State in the NDH was the issue of conversions. The Catholic Church stood firmly on the principle that no one can be admitted into the Church unless he or she demands admitance free of all pressures and interferences. Likewise, the Church disagreed with the government that it can meddle in the area of conversions, the terrain the Church considered exclusively its own.
Bishop Jerome Mileta of Šibenik diocese is one of the most illustrative examples of that attitude of the Church. The author brings forth for the first time documents which shed new light on the issue of »conversions« in that diocese.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
213993
URI
Datum izdavanja:
4.12.1997.
Posjeta: 841 *