International scientific conference proceedings
Regular anual scientific-theological symposiums are organised at the Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Split.
Egon Mihajlović’s lecture on the music of Ivan Lukačić and historical performing practice
Workshop on the performing practice of early music singers with Christina Pluhar
Sacrae cantiones/Harmonices mundi workshop with Mario Penzar
The Figure of Ivan Marko Lukačić – the “Father of Croatian music”
Lukačić in the 21st Century: On some performing aspects of the Musica Adriatica Ensemble
The choirmaster of the Split Cathedral, Ivan Marko Lukačić (Šibenik, d. 1585 - Split, September 20, 1648), is an early Baroque composer who occupies a special place in the Croatian musical life of the 17th century, as well as in the history of Croatian music. The collection Sacrae Cantiones, Singulis Binis Ternis Quaternis Quinisque vocibus Concinenda was printed in five separate volumes (Cantus, Altus, Tenor, Bassus, Organum) in Venice in 1620. is the only preserved and known collection of Lukačić. On the eve of the 400th anniversary of the Sacrae Ccantione edition, the international Musica Adriatica ensemble gave the integral performance of the collection in December 2019 in St. Domnius Cathedral in Split. The motets for one to five voices were performed by the ensemble consisted of first soprano, second soprano, countertenor, tenor, and bass with a section of basso continuo players (theorbo, viola da gamba and organ). The article provides some aspects of the performance of Lukačić’s early Baroque motets in the contemporary context. This interdisciplinary approach combines musical-analytical thinking with the experience of live performance.
“Belle fantasie e leggiadre invenzioni” in Lukačić’s motet Sicut cedrus
It is still little known about the musical education of Ivan Lukačić and his collection Sacrae Cantiones (Venice, 1620). Therefore, this article deals with the historical, liturgical, and musical aspects of the solo motet Sicut cedrus with basso continuo accompaniment. It retains the liturgical musical form of the great responsory and merges with the motet style, but in one developmental continuity from the initial motive. The analysis and comparison with the related works of his contemporaries reveal the richness of Lukačić’s musical language. It adopted compositional techniques of both styles (prima and seconda prattica) and the elements of three musical genres, motet, madrigal, and concerto, which influenced church music in the first decades of the 17th century. We also recognize the influence of the motet tradition of Roman church music (Viadana, Cifra) and the compositional techniques adopted from his Franciscan confreres (Finetti, Viadana and Mortaro).
The Intonation-based and Rhythm-based Approaches to Singing of Motets Cantabo Domino and Cantate Domino from the Sacrae cantiones Collection of Ivan Lukačić
Considering the most significant musical characteristics of Ivan Lukačić’s motets and the perceptual nature of today’s musicians, shaped by compositions with typical tonal features, the paper seeks to predict common errors in reading early music notations. These errors arose from the firm tonal orientations and expectations of academic musicians. This paper provides a method for improving the skill of reading rhythm and intonation that could significantly affect the overall experience and sensitization for the music of the early Baroque period. Motets Cantabo Domino and Cantate Domino are from Lukačić’s Sacrae cantiones collection.
Three-part motets of the Sacrae cantiones collection of Ivan Lukačić
The Sacrae cantiones collection of Ivan Lukačić consists of three three-part motets Domine, puer meus, Nos autem and Responde Virgo. They are based on a text of biblical, liturgical, or unknown origin and testify to the free treatment of the text, which was common practice at the time. This paper focuses on these motets purposely. We chose them because of their formal structure, the manner and procedures of shaping individual components of the musical style that very convincingly testify to the middle way, mentioned in almost all works on Lukačić, which the composer chooses in intertwining Renaissance and Baroque performance practices. Thus, for example, the melody in the monodic motet is restrained but also interwoven with virtuoso phrases. Solo parts most often fill the frame of a sentence or period, anticipating the regularity of homophonic texture, but still very far from classical models. The treatment of the tonal basis in the monodic parts is close to the baroque major-minor tonality with frequent brief modulations into close tonalities and oscillations between parallel ones. The modality of the polyphonic motet is enriched with standard alterations and moving of the finalis to different degrees; the procedure and treatment of polyphonic texture where the canonic sections in imitation episodes are by a rule accompanying in relation to the performance of the first theme, thus losing the independence inherent to the Renaissance style. These procedures of a kind of diminution of the essential features of two seemingly opposing practices that permeate Lukačić’s opus are certainly in the function of creating the unity of musical language and expression, which is a feature of every artistically valuable work.
Liturgical settings of Sacrae cantiones motets of Ivan Marko Lukačić
Sacrae cantiones[1] are chants, original settings of liturgical texts. These compositions, used in liturgical celebrations, demand high skill and virtuosity from the choir. The two intertwined concepts related to Lukačić’s work and motets are music and liturgy or liturgical music. This setting is valid for all times as long as we glorify God and celebrate the liturgy. However, the chronological and geographical settings are no less important. Chronologically, these are the last years of the Renaissance and the transition to the Baroque (general history). It is the time after the Council of Trent when the Council’s guidelines have increasingly rooted in pastoral work (fifty years after the Council). The geographical context is not so crucial, but we consider that the proximity of Rome and Lukačić’s education there probably have much influence. Lukačić was a choirmaster of the Split cathedral after the Council of Trent. Therefore, we approach his opus through the prism of the liturgical renewal of the Council of Trent instructions. [1] The research has partly been funded by the Croatian Science Foundation project IP 6619 Cromuscodex70.
Choirmasters of the Split Cathedral: Julije Bajamonti, Benedetto Pellizzari and Ante Alberti - undiscovered pearls of Croatian cultural heritage
The author explores and presents three Split Cathedral choirmasters after Ivan Marko Lukačić (choirmaster from 1620 to 1648), namely: Benedetto Pellizzari (choirmaster from 1753 to 1789), Julije Bajamonti (choirmaster from 1790 to 1800) and Ante Alberti (choirmaster from 1800 to 1804). Based on relevant literature and archival material, this study provides data and reconstructs musicians’ biographies by telling their life stories and providing data on their musical and cultural work. In the second part of the paper, the author deals with their compositional opuses, i.e. archival material that included various forms of worship such as compositions: Te Deum, Vespers, Masses, motets (Christmas time, Lent, Holy Week, Easter time, Marian songs, Pentecost, etc.), and compositions for the Feast of St. Domnius, (motets, Bajamonti’s oratorio La translazione di s. Doimo - Transfer of St. Domnius, etc.), preserved in various places such as the Archives of the Split-Makarska Archdiocese (i.e. the Music Archives of the Split Cathedral), the Museum of the City of Split, the Parish Sacristy offices in Starigrad on the island of Hvar, etc. The author discusses unresearched musical opus as a pearl of Croatian cultural heritage and proposes theoretical study through courses at Music Academies, scientific symposia and scientific publications. The author also suggests musical performances (worship, concerts, audio, and video releases of musical opus) and dissemination of the entire musical opus through various social media (books, monographs, music collections, TV, radio, internet, etc.) to preserve these compositions - pearls of Croatian cultural heritage from oblivion.
Music archive of the Split cathedral and other sources in the archdiocesan’s archive for researching of the musical past of Split
The Archdiocesan Archives in Split keeps over fifty different fonds and collections. The Music Archives of the Split Cathedral preserves valuable and unique archival material. The Music Academy arranged the entire collection in the seventies of the last century. The Split Cathedral choirmasters shaped its musical life and that of the town of Split. Ivan Lukačić was one of them. Although this archives does not keep his collection, we can find information about his work from other sources. Since the Archbishops of Split and the Cathedral Chapter cared about choirmasters and singing in the cathedral, the archival material of the Archdiocesan Archives, Capitular Archives and the Archives of the Split Cathedral contain valuable information about the musical past of the Split Cathedral and the city of Split.
Fr Ivan Marko Lukačić. Unpublished archival findings
The Croatian musician Fr. Ivan Lukačić was a choirmaster of the Split Cathedral during the 17th century. He was born in Šibenik, educated in Venice and Rome and performed his priestly ministries in Split. There is a growing interest in the life of this Conventual Franciscan, especially on the 400th anniversary of the publication of his collection of motets “Sacrae Cantiones” (Venice, 1620). He spent the most prolific life as the guardian of the monastery of St. Francis and a choirmaster of St. Domnius Cathedral in Split. The author’s work on arranging the archives of the Croatian Conventual Franciscan Province of St. Jerome in Zagreb provided insight into archival fonds stored in twenty manuscript collections. In this paper, the author presents unpublished archival findings on Lukačić’s work as a friar and religious leader and his spiritual life imbued with numerous tensions, misunderstandings, and challenges. These new findings shed light on the life and work of this Conventual Franciscan in the towns of Šibenik and Split, where he acquired musical education and developed his musical talent.
Ivan Lukačić in the light of older and newer knowledge
We find the first bio-bibliographical data on Ivan Lukačić (c. 1585-1648) in the musical lexicons of Johannes Walther (1732), François Joseph Fétis (1860-1865), Robert Eitner (1877) and some other older bibliographic reference works. There is no mention of Lukačić during the 18th and 19th centuries. Even well-known bibliographers, such as Šime Ljubić and Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski, do not mention him in their publications nor Franjo Ksaver Kuhač knew anything of Lukačić. In 1925, Josip Mantuani referred to Giacomo Finetti and alongside him Ivan Lukačić, too, including his Sacrae cantiones collection, in his study on the history of Franciscan music. A year earlier (1924), local church historian Niko Kalogjera also mentioned Lukačić as the organist of the Split Cathedral, but not knowing anything about his collection, cited in old music lexicons. The young musicologist Dragan Plamenac read Mantuani and Kalogjera’s notes. After a few years of research, Plamenac published the article “Unknown Croatian musician of the early Baroque Ivan Lukačić (1574-1648) and his motets” in the Zagreb daily Obzor at the end of 1934. This small newspaper article was a first-class cultural event and a great musical discovery in Croatia. At the end of 1935, he organized a concert From the Croatian musical past in the Croatian Music Institute with musical pieces of Vinko Jelić, Andrija Patricij (Andrea Patricio), Julije Skjavetić (Giulio Schiavetto [Schiavetti]), Tomaso Cecchini and Ivan Lukačić, so the Croatian public could suddenly enjoy the unimaginable richness of Croatian Renaissance and Baroque music. Plamenac was particularly impressed by the Sacrae cantiones collection. Plamenac found Lukačić’s collection of motets in the old Prussian State Library in Berlin. Due to newspaper articles, a well-organized concert at the Music Institute, and the edition of selected motets from the Sacrae cantiones collection - the music of Ivan Lukačić came to life again in the mid-1930s. E. Stipčević rediscovered the Sacrae cantiones collection in the Jagiellonian Library in Kraków in 1982. In the early 1980s, Lukačić’s opus integrated into new methodological tendencies and Croatian Baroque music was recognized in Europe. Ivan Lukačić, the composer, Conventual Franciscan, longtime maestro di cappella of the Cathedral of Split, is a typical “hero” of local historiography. In the collection of Sacrae cantiones, we recognize a valuable contribution to early Baroque contemporary aspirations.
The closure of churches for public worship during the general lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has provoked diverse reactions but also it has encouraged some new forms of pastoral and worship. In that context a new interest in the reading of Old Testament texts related to the impossibility or prohibition of entering the temple, i.e., participation in public worship for persons in a state of ritual impurity or in other similar circumstances has been awakened as well. These are usually temporary, longer, or shorter periods after which the purified person can approach the temple again. But sometimes the condition of impurity lasts a long or even a lifetime. The question arises as to how such persons, who cannot participate in temple worship, can live their relationship with God and their fellow man. In doing so, we start from the fact that in the Old Testament context, the answer to that question cannot be sought outside the Law of Moses. In this presentation, we will take a closer look at the regulations for lepers in the Leviticus (13:45-46) and Jesus’ healing of a leper in the Gospel of Mark (1:40-44) and try to read them in the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Copyright (c) 2022 International scientific conference proceedings
NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR CELEBRATING THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AT THE TIME OF COVID-19 ILLNESS
Due to the pandemic caused by the COVID-19, the preparation and celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Split-Makarska Archdiocese experienced a crisis period, which also affected the sacramental life of persons with special needs. In the first part of the paper, the authors analyze the pre-pandemic period of regular preparation and celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, which includes people with special needs. In the second part of the paper, the authors analyze and describe the impact of the pandemic on the sacramental life of people with special needs by conducting research with religious teachers in the Centre for Autism, in the Centre “Juraj Bonači” and in the Centre “Slava Raškaj”. In the third part, according to new documents and guidelines of the Ordinariate of the Split-Makarska Archdiocese, and the research conclusions, authors present recommendations on new possibilities for the preparation and celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation for persons with special needs in the Split-Makarska Archdiocese.
INEQUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL PRECONDITIONS AS A CHALLENGE TO THE PRACTICE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN THE PANDEMIC TIME
The consequences of the social and health crisis, associated with the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, affect all areas of human life and activity, including the processes of Christian initiation of children and youth. They, already in need of revision, have been questioned again in the past year and a half with several aspects. The pandemic, that is, the circumstances that arose in dealing with it, changed the established models of catechesis, but it can also become a turning point for its revision. It is only necessary to enter the process of reading the signs of the times and notice the challenges that follow in the process of looking for answers. The paper focuses on a challenge that we consider crucial - inequality of (pre)conditions. He points to the need for a polyendric shaping of the evangelizing mission of the Church and facing some concrete tasks.
THE CONTRIBUTION OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN CONFRONTING STUDENTS WITH THE COVID-19 VIRUS
The second school year is underway, the dynamics of which have been significantly determined by the epidemiological situation, depending on the individual country. The pandemic strongly marked not only the organizational aspect of teaching, but in a sense imposed pedagogicaldidactic evaluation and the meaning of school. We could say that it is a pandemic, with all the unpredictable challenges it has brought, is a certain “re-accreditation” of the educational system, and in a specially way of the curriculum of religious education. In this paper, we want to analyse the extent to which religious education within the educational system has provided support in confronting students with the issues and difficulties caused by the pandemic. We will answer the question of whether and how religious education has helped students “metabolize” the unpredictable and difficult situations produced by the pandemic, transforming them into a new experience based on trust and hope. Namely, the pandemic intensified the fundamental existential questions to which religious education was called to provide answers. In the first part of the paper, we define the basic goals of religious education and its contributions to achieving basic goals of the school. In the second part, based on the analysis of the subject curriculum of Catholic religious education, we single out topics that could have made a significant contribution to the confrontation of students with the pandemic. In the third part, we present the results of a survey on how religious teachers had personally and together with students dealt with the issues, experiences and consequences of the pandemic. Finally, we will try to answer the question of whether the pandemic is a kind of “re-accreditation” of the justification of religious education in school or whether it has indicated the aporia in the content of religious education that should be confronted.
THE IMPACT OF THE CRISIS CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ON SOME ASPECTS OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE, MENTAL HEALTH AND FAITH OF ADOLESCENTS
How is the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic manifested, how did it affect people’s religious life and what consequences could it have on young people in adolescence? Against the background of these questions, the paper presents a part of the results of an empirical research conducted from December 2020 to February 2021 among adolescents in Croatia (N = 857) on the impact of the pandemic on some aspects of mental health, life, and religiosity of students. Emotional reactions and states, social relationships, learning, health, and economic status of the family are covered. The positive effects of the pandemic on the personal and religious growth and development of adolescents are then outlined: their learning, faith, social relations, independence, and creativity.
PASTORAL ACCOMPANIMENT AND SPIRITUAL CARE IN THE NURSING HOMES OF HERZEGOVINA DURING THE PANDEMIC TIME
The third age becomes one of the target groups of pastoral accompaniment and spiritual care in the context of trying to prolong human life. Exploring the pastoral activities and offering spiritual care in nineteen officially registered nursing homes in the area of Diocese of MostarDuvno and Trebinje-Mrkan, the author seeks to point out guidelines for creating a new pastoral model which will address the fundamental Christian needs of protégés, medical staff, families and all those necessarily involved in the life of residents. Pastoral activities at the parish, dean and diocesan level, which should help raising awareness of all the local Church members regarding the values and significance of the elderly people, will be specified in the model, the so-called guidelines.
IMPACT OF MIGRATIONS AND PANDEMIC ON THE PASTORAL
There is no question that every time has its own challenges and crises, “sorrows and joys”, but the question is how individuals and communities, society and the Church deal with temptations and how they seek solutions. From a theological and pastoral point of view, the focus is on how to recognize God’s will in social and pastoral mess and muddle, how to “explain the reason for hope” and how to act pastorally. Through the eyes of faith, we recognise that migration and the COVID-19 pandemic are “signs of the times”. Accordingly, the authors, using the method of evangelical judgment, parsing social and ecclesial circumstances, question how migration and the pandemic are reflected in pastoral work. In the first part of the article, they focus on the occurrence of migrations from a social point of view, and then depicts the Church’s relationship to this dramatic phenomenon in the twenty-first century. The second part describes the impact of the coronavirus on humanity and its reflection on pastoral work, and examines how the Church is coping with the challenge of the pandemic.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using the Internet Medium for Education and Learning
Unatoč činjenici da nije mogla zamijeniti osobni odnos između nastavnika i učenika tijekom razdoblja koronavirusa, Informacijsko-komunikacijska tehnologija (IKT) bila je jedini način koji je omogućavao učenje na daljinu. U proces učenja, IKT uvodi mogućnost aktivnog stjecanja znanja, multimedijske dimenzije, povratnih informacija i dr. Teškoće se očituju u činjenici da svi učenici nemaju adekvatnu računalnu opremu, također je tu i nedostatak neverbalne komunikacije, veće opterećenje nastavnika, zanemarivanje socijalizacije te manjak koncentracije i motivacije učenika. Uloga je nastavnika i odgojitelja dobro poznavanje utjecaja i učinka IKT-a na proces učenja, zaštita učenika od opasnosti, tj. profitera, nastojanje oko kvalitetne međuljudske komunikacije, usklađivanje ciljeva učenja s učenicima i prikladniji način vrednovanja (ocjenjivanja). Iskustvo s IKT-om promijenit će obrazovanje nakon razdoblja pandemije, no uvijek ćemo biti pred izborom između dovoljnog stupnja kritike slabih točaka IKT-a i ocjene dobrih praksi.
THE ROLE AND MISSION OF THE SLOVENIAN CATECHESIS OFFICE (SKU) IN THE TIME OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) brought about numerous changes in the life of the Church. The doors of churches, parish offices, and catechesis rooms were closed, while the Church started searching for new ways to spread the Word of God: preaching, catechesis, and testimonies. In the Church in Slovenia, an important role was played by the Slovenski katehetski urad (Slovenian Catechesis Office or SKU), which is a working body of the Slovenian Bishops’ Conference (SŠK) in the field of catechesis. Its main tasks include overseeing synchronised and in-depth catechesis in the Church in Slovenia. In the time of the pandemic, when in-person meetings of the religious community were thwarted, the SKU encouraged catechists to search for new ways to reach individual catechesis groups. The first attempts at digital preaching and distance catechesis were thus born. The new circumstances revealed many untapped possibilities for digital catechising and the use of various apps. The coronavirus stimulated the formation of the home Church within families and revealed how important the digital literacy of catechists is.
THE FAMILY - CHURCH IN SMALL AND ITS CHALLENGES IN THE GRIP OF THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC
At the time of the COVID-19 epidemic, when churches were literally closed overnight and religious classrooms emptied, the role of the family, as the basic cell of the Church came to the fore again and was called to carry out during the epidemic a threefold mission: in the field of the liturgy, preaching and Diakonia. In the field of liturgy, mass broadcasts were welcome in the media, but most of them did not address families with children. Because families did not want to attend worship services only as “silent spectators”, they were forced to seek additional materials to keep the “little fellowship” in touch with God in their own way. In the field of preaching, the challenge was how to catechize children. Parents were expected to catechize their children themselves, and many could not cope with this task. Although the Slovenian Catechetical Office prepared the material, it did not reach all parents for various reasons. Priests and catechists acknowledged their helplessness and expressed a desire for a renewed catechesis and pastoral care that will evangelize in the languages of modern multimedia both children and adults. In the field of diakonia, the family was put to the test of how to live love of neighbour not only in words but especially in deeds. Many municipalities and parishes organized various forms of charitable activity, which enabled the family to keep the parish and family Church alive to the best of its ability.
CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND FAKE NEWS WITHIN (CRITICAL) RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Critical thinking is a set of genuine educational tools for discriminating the fake from the true, the hidden from the transparent and is, as such, at a crucial method for any relevant educational venture within the current in-crisis state of affairs. This paper analyses and presents methods of critical thinking about conspiracy theories involving the COVID-19 vaccination, and fake news on the migration crisis within religious education. The reason for this approach lies in the fact that the Church and religious education in Croatia are relevant social instances. Regarding various conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 vaccination, Vatican released a Note on morality of using some anti-COVID-19 vaccinesdeclaring it to be morally acceptable, if no alternative is available, receiving the vaccine developed from the cell lines derived from tissues obtained from abortion. But, in spite of these efforts, conspiracy theories and fake news prevail. It is, hence, necessary to include more critical thinking tools and methods in the educational system, as proposed by this paper for the purpose of (critical) religious education.
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a great vulnerability of society and individuals who had been caught by it. The fear caused by this crisis is often augmented by the mass media spreading negative reports. However, even in such situations both individuals and communities can find faith related psychological support and resilience. The paper explores the modern trends of catechesis in the Catholic Church, with a special emphasis on the kerygmatic catechesis. This aims at deepening personal faith as a relationship, which gives the believer stability even in times of uncertainty or distress. During the time of trial such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the kerygmatic catechesis appears as an essential aspect of the Church’s preaching. The announcement of God’s love and mercy helps individuals overcome fear and meaninglessness while entering a new relationship dimension which does not end with death. Amid seemingly endless flow of negative events, the proclamation of Kerygma shines as the only good news. The kerygmatic dimension of catechesis is also emphasized in the new Directory for Catechesis which sets out the main directions of catechesis in the coming years. At the same time, although not giving a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it provides a stable orientation to the catechesis.
The paper deals with the hominization of human which is the key to his humanity and which is based on his allied identity. Throughout the history of salvation, God has repeatedly offered covenants to people, bringing them back to the primeval Covenant made at the time of creation. Nevertheless, it is only the Covenant made in the Blood of Christ that opens the possibility of the complete primeval and eschatological hominization which takes place in the human heart and is permanently present and alive in the celebration of the Eucharist. Hence, human is rightly referred to as homo eucharisticus. Since in the COVID-19 pandemic period required physical distance and isolation and suspended participation in the Eucharistic celebration became an obstacle to human hominization. It is therefore necessary to reconsider new models of Eucharistic hominization. Since the Church has known the practice of bringing communion to the sick from the time of first centuries, it is necessary to apply it better in new circumstances, in order for an individual to be and remain what he is - homo eucharisticus. With the use of technical aids, the practice requires reviving the order of permanent deacons, acolytes, and extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, church diakonia and koinonia, and strengthening loose family ties and the role of the father as head of the family.
HOW SHOULD WE TALK ABOUT GOD AND WITNESS HIS PRESENCE IN TIMES OF CORONAVIRUS CRISIS?
In the first part of the article the author, in accordance with the theological-pastoral method, reflects on the consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in the social and ecclesial areas. The pandemic, like a “megaphone”, has brought to light some problems that burden modern society and the Church in its mission. It has deepened fear for oneself, jobs, for ones friends and neighbors, especially the elderly and the sick, and opened many other questions such as about freedom, the limits of politics, the dangers of the virtual world, manipulation of the media, etc. Questions about God, the role of the Church in the pandemic, the meaning of suffering and life, responsibility for others have emerged with new strength and have been requesting their answers. The author has made an effort to answer them in the second and third parts of the article, pointing out how the Church can contribute to alleviating the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
The history of mankind knows a lot of crisis situations and pandemic fears of one kind or another. Already at the beginning of the Bible, we can find a description of a crisis of pandemic proportions, when we read the story of the “general” flood. So, when “water reaches our throats” due to various insurmountable causes, we speak about a crisis. In such situations, one often reacts first with “negation”. Sometimes it even pretends for a long time that there is no crisis. In such moments, we need the most trusted person, who is also stable and sensitive enough to dare to “break” in front of him. Sometimes it is only “brokenness” that wakes us up to become ready to make certain changes in life. Only when a human being is ready to accept the painful reality of the crisis will he/she be open to the next step consisting of seeking and receiving help. The process of accepting a difficult situation can encourage a person in crisis to try to find a deeper message in it, and perhaps even meaning of life. In such an inner transformation, he/she will feel how he/she enriches and strengthens his neighbors by designing a crisis. Numerous biblical personalities, who do not stumble in any crisis and resolve every difficult situation in open communication with God, can effectively stimulate not only a theological but also a psychological view of the crisis.
INTERRELIGIOUS COMPETENCE IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN THE LIGHT OF THE ENCYCLICAL FRATELLI TUTTI
Posljednjih se desetljeća u svijetu umjesto uspostave kulturnog sporazuma, koji poštuje i preuzima različite svjetonazore, kulture i stilove života kao društvene fenomene, događaju progoni, isključivanja, mržnja prema strancima, nepoštivanje ljudskih prava i nasilje svih oblika. U enciklici Fratelli tutti papa Franjo apelira kako je prijeko potreban strpljivi dijalog i uspostava svjetske etike solidarnosti i suradnje, tako da se mogu prenositi vrijednosti vlastite kulture i prihvaćati sve ono dobro u tuđim iskustvima (FT 134). Na taj način gradi se etika međuovisnosti i suodgovornosti koje čuvaju mir u svijetu i vode do uspostave ljudskog bratstva, stoga je međureligijska kompetencija potreba i nužnost ne samo za vjernike nego i za one koji ne vjeruju. U prvom dijelu rada autorice iz religijsko-didaktičke perspektive obrađuju kriterije i elemente međureligijske kompetencije. U drugom dijelu rada ističu važnost međureligijske kompetencije u Vjeronauku i analiziraju zastupljenost njezinih elemenata u Kurikulu Katoličkoga vjeronauka u Hrvatskoj. U trećem dijelu rada promišljaju o međureligijskoj kompetenciji u svjetlu enciklike Fratelli tutti u kojoj papa Franjo poziva na odgovorno suočavanje sa svime što sprječava razvoj bratstva, dijaloga i socijalnog prijateljstva među svim ljudima.
The corona pandemic reveals the limitations of humans and societies in several ways: It leads to interruption, uncertainty, and a sense of the finiteness of existence. The myth of unchecked growth has developed massive cracks. Experience after a year of intensive efforts to digitize educational processes shows that digital education has its limits in the context of religious learning. Central dimensions of human existence require learning formats that enable an engagement with the real world and with face-to-face communication. “The longing of the soul cannot be appeased by much knowledge, but by the sense and relish of inward things,” writes Ignatius von Loyola. Spirituality and education are therefore dependent on intensive forms of encountering the world, fellow human beings, self and God. Empathy, dealing with limit-experiences, a sense of responsibility and solidarity can be learned first in reality, on site. This also applies to the ability to perceive the consequences of migration and to cope with them in the sense of global Christians’ responsibility for the world and creation (“Go to the borders…” Pope Francis). Mercy and compassion are based on the ability to perceive the suffering fellow human being and the suf- fering creation. Based on these postulates, indispensable principles for religious education can be determined today: decelerating and mantaining a slower pace, sensibility, physicality, movement, alert world perception and empathy are the characteristics of such a contingencysensitive religious education.