Consecrated life in Croatia, a living and joyful reality

In the past few days, May 27-29, Card. Ángel F. Artime, SDB, and sr Carmen Ros Nortes, NSC, respectively Pro-Prefect and Under-Secretary of our Dicastery, traveled to Croatia to meet with the different realities of consecrated life present in the country, thus responding to the invitation of the Croatian Bishops' Conference, the Apostolic Nuncio Bishop Lingua and the Conference of Religious Men and Women.

There were many opportunities for listening and dialogue, joy and conviviality. After arriving and being welcomed at the Apostolic Nunciature, our Superiors visited the contemplatives of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart monastery in Lasinja, the Carmelites in Brezovica, and, in Zagreb, the nuns of the Visitation of Mary and the Carmelites, who were able to talk about their exp erience of life and learn more about the work of the Dicastery in favor of consecrated life.

On May 28, during the Plenary Assembly of the Croatian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Artime and Sister Carmen Ros shared insights on the challenges and opportunities of consecrated life in the world, stressing that the vocation to consecrated life is a gift from God for the Church that must be welcomed and made to bear fruit for its benefit. To this end, it is important to live an intense interior life that lets the beauty of God shine through and be a prophetic witness for the woman and man of today.

Participation in the Holy Mass celebrated in the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac worship space at Kaptol in Zagreb and the Pope's Day on May 28 in the Vijenac Hall of the Apostolic Nunciature concluded this experience of communion. We believe that the presence of the representatives of our Dicastery at the Apostolic Nunciature together with Nuncio Bishop Giorgio Lingua was a beautiful expression of unity and communion with the Holy See.