Croatian officials address int'l conference on promoting interreligious dialogue

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Tuesday at the conference Human Fraternity As the Foundation of Peace and Security in the World that Croatia's model of Church and state relations had enabled a consensus on respecting the freedom of conscience and religion, and dialogue and cooperation regardless of religious affiliation.

Plenkovic thanked at the conference's opening the Muslim World League (Rabita) and the Meshihat of Islamic Community in Croatia, as well as the Croatian Bishops' Conference, on organising the meeting during Croatia's presidency of the Council of the European Union, since it calls for community and dialogue as indispensable and fundamental preconditions for good relations.

He said that a year ago from today Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar signed the Document on Human Fraternity, which calls on all believers, their religions and all people of good will to nurture fraternal relations through common dialogue and to cooperate in preserving world peace and creating a more just society.

This thought outlines the social reality that in a globalised world, respecting plurality and the way in which we treat heterogeneity and religious and cultural diversity is a key challenge, Plenkovic said, adding that Croatia was committed to respecting and protecting human dignity and that the Croatian Constitution included an obligation to respect and protect religious freedom.

The government has a constructive dialogue with all churches and religious communities in Croatia, especially with the Catholic Church as the largest and most important religious community, while it also encourages dialogue between members of different religious communities in order to continue developing mutual understanding and inter-religious cooperation, Plenkovic said.

Text: Hina

News | Plenkovic Andrej