mons. Želimir Puljić
President of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference

After the first European Conference in Florence (31/03 – 1/04/2017) about “Formation of clergy and prevention of child abuse”, here we are again dealing with this issue in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. With this brief letter I express to all the participants, coming from near and far, the most sincere welcome in Croatia also in the name of the bishops of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference, organizing committee of this Second European Conference on the theme: “Formation and prevention – the power as service”.

We are very grateful for the support received from the Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, His Eminence Cardinal Beniamino Stella, from the President of CCEE, His Eminence Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, as well as the Child Protection Center of the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Catholic Faculty of Theology of the University of Zagreb. In a special way I would like to thank the Rector of the Catholic University of Croatia, Prof Željko Tanjić, for accepting the co-organisation of the Conference.

This Second European Conference on Formation and Prevention follows initiatives for protecting minors and vulnerable adults of  the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. It is a sign of the great commitment of the universal Church to eradicate the scourge of child abuse, which unfortunately also affected the ecclesial world.

I hope the new Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis (2016), with its norms concerning formation of future priests, together with other documents regarding formation, will help in the development of well-structured and balanced personalities, promoting, in the candidates to the priesthood and religious life, the growth and the integral development of a solid and stable psycho-affective maturity. I wish this second European Conference in Zagreb will provide a significant contribution to the path of formation and prevention.

To all the participants once again a sincere welcome!

✠  Želimir Puljić, Archbishop of Zadar,
President of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference

Zagabria, February 18, 2019

 

 

 

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Professor Hans Zollner, SJ, The Director of Institute of Psychology  at the Pontifical Gregorian University, President of Centre for Child Protection

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“We invite you to come to Zagreb, to work together and to join us in discussing this very challenging and very important topic for the life of the Church today. Welcome!” – Professor Željko Tanjić, Rector of Catholic University of Croatia

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“Invitation to the 2nd Coference “Formation and prevention – the power as service” – Sr. Anneliese Herzig, PhD, theologian (Austria)

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