Pray for Croatia

Shaped like a boomerang, the Republic of Croatia is a gateway to Eastern Europe. It lies along the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. Most of the land is used for farming, and one-third of it is forested. Croatia is known for its 1,200 islands along the coast, and only several dozen are inhabited. The larger islands offer swanky getaways for wealthy vacationers. Croatia’s landscape features unique scenery with gorgeous coastlines, majestic mountains, picturesque lakes, and even rolling farmlands. Croatia has rich history, architecture and  scenery, as well as hospitable natives.

Croatia’s land was once part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Then, in 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom that would eventually be known as Yugoslavia — a federal independent  communist state. Though Croatia declared its independence in 1991, the people suffered four years of devastating conflict before gaining freedom from Serbian occupation. Between the effects of Yugoslavia communism and several years of war, the economy was devastated. Today privatization has been slow. Tourism has helped revive the nation. Membership in  NATO (2009) and the European Union (2013) motivated change and increased foreign investment. Recently, the economy has experienced growth,  although tourism and    the national GDP took a big hit during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

About  92% of Croats claim Christianity,  and the vast  majority are Catholic. In fact, Croatia is one of  the  most Catholic nations in the world. While the constitution affirms freedom of religion, the Catholic Church continues to receive state financial support and special treatment, and its leaders hold great national influence. However, being Catholic in Croatia has more to do with  ethnicity   than religion; only about 30% attend weekly Mass. Evangelicals have been able to bridge the ethnic divide, with Bosnians, Croats, and Serbs worshiping side by side. The Evangelical Church only represents about 0.4% of   the  population,  but  it  is slowly growing with congregations spreading throughout the nation. The scars of past wars and traumas remain, but the door is open for the message of peace, reconciliation, and hope that only Jesus can bring!