On the invitation of the Croatian Justice and Peace Commission, the secretaries general of the European Justice and Peace Commissions met in Split, Croatia, from 28 February to 2 March 2025.
How to present and promote Catholic Social Teaching in an increasingly insecure and fragile world? This question was addressed through a variety of perspectives over the meeting.
Prof. Helen Alford, Ph.D., OP., President of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, spoke about how to dialogue with the political, economic, cultural and media spheres, in a sensitive manner, respecting their particularities.
The following experts associated with the Croatian Justice and Peace Commission spoke on issues like migration, family and demography and the consequences of war: Igor Jakobfi, Ph.D., Assist. Prof. Mirjam Mery Brgles, Ph.D., Mr. Siniša Troha, Prof. Dubravka Hrabar, Ph.D. and Prof. Mario Vinković, Ph.D. A representative of the Islamic Community talked about interreligious dialogue and the Muslim presence in Croatia.
During the meeting, the secretaries general discussed the recent geopolitical changes and recalled the founding idea of the EU as an instrument of peace and prosperity for all. Meeting in the Western Balkans, they expressed their support for strengthening and enlarging the EU.
At the end of the event, the Co-Presidents of Justice and Peace Europe, Archbishop Antoine Hérouard and Mrs. Maria Hammershøy thanked the local archbishop, Mgr. Zdenko Križić, Archbishop of Split-Makarska, and Mgr. Đuro Hranić, Archbishop of Đakovo-Osijek and President of Justitia et Pax, for their hospitality. Finally, a special word of gratitude was extended to Professor Vladimir Dugalić and the Croatian Commission for the successful organisation of the programme.
The General Assembly 2025 of Justice and Peace Europe will be held in October in Vilnius, Lithuania.
