Two cardinals in Rijeka: "The Church is not an exclusive club, culture wars drive young people away"

Two cardinals in Rijeka: “The Church is not an exclusive club, cultural wars drive youth away” Rijeka, Two cardinal bishops of the Catholic Church, Bishop Blaško Cupić of Čakovec and Bishop Ladislav Nemet of Belgrade, spent this week in Lovran, participating in Mediterranean theological meetings organized by the Diocese of Rijeka. On Tuesday evening, they arrived in Rijeka to deliver public speeches at the cathedral premises, sharing their reflections on peacebuilding amid militarism. The discussions were part of interreligious gatherings in Lovran, where Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, and Islamic theologians and theology students convened. The conversation with Cupić and Nemet was moderated by HRT journalist Morana Kasapović. In response to questions posed during the session, both cardinals emphasized the importance of taking action for peace. Cupić highlighted the duty of Christians to ensure the world is safe for all people. He stressed that they must not focus solely on their own communities, as protecting the rights of every human being encourages others to follow that example. “Instead of focusing on what divides us, we should look at what unites us,” he said. “It is true that some Christians around the world suffer persecution and violence, and we must speak about that. However, there are other groups who also face oppression, and we must raise our voices for them.” Cupić explained that acting in such a manner means being principled. He added that the Church’s role is to ensure that every human being has the right to life, freedom, and happiness in their lives. “Our message is that everyone deserves safety,” he stated. Nemet addressed the relationship between nationalism and Christianity, acknowledging the difficulties faced by Christian communities in parts of Europe in distinguishing between religious identity and national identity. He noted that this region has been under foreign rule for many centuries. “I understand this difficulty because this part of Europe has long been under foreign rule,” he said. Both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches were the only institutions that stood up for people, preserving language, culture, and identity. “It is normal that churches have protected communities together,” Nemet said. “Today, when states have taken over that responsibility, I believe that churches have forgotten to return to their original, religious missions.” He pointed out that certain feelings are not purely Christian but nationalist, and that they must return to the foundations of their faith. During the Synod on synodality in Vatican City, one of the major themes was baptism, which introduces individuals into a completely new reality of God's people. “We are God's people, saved by God, and then we become Hungarians, Croats, and members of other nations,” he said. Nemet emphasized that mercy and the charisma of baptism should influence how we live as members of a nation, rather than allowing national belonging and culture to define how we become Christians. While culture is important, he added, songs and prayers are always intertwined with nationality. Yet, we must not forget the significance of baptism and the truth that we are members of one global divine people. Speaking about the cultural wars occurring in the United States, which Kasapović noted had spread to Croatia, Cupić reiterated that Christianity is not an exclusive club. “Christian mission: spreading the tent, going to the margins and bringing the Gospel to others,” he said. Cupić quoted the late Pope Francis, emphasizing that the Church cannot be a museum where we stand closed off and take care of ourselves alone, but must instead be a hospital that goes out into the world. “When we think we have a church where I am safe and where I belong only to my group, that is not the Gospel and that is not the mission of Jesus Christ,” he said. Jesus did not tell his disciples to stay in Galilee and build their own Church there, but instead sent them to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples. “If we do not do this, we are not faithful to Jesus' Gospel and his message,” he concluded. Cupić further warned that young people do not want cultural wars. “When it comes to cultural wars, I think church leaders and elders must realize that engaging in cultural conflicts will mostly alienate young people,” he said. “Young people do not want to participate in cultural wars.”