Croatia: Mgr Kutlesa (Zagreb) to religion teachers. “School as a place for spiritual, social, cultural and human development”

The Archbishop of Zagreb, Mgr Drazen Kutlesa, has addressed an open letter to religious education teachers to mark the beginning of the new school year. Along with the “new opportunities and challenges” that the new year presents, the prelate stressed that we need to “regain awareness of the value of our mission and the importance of school as an essential place for spiritual, social, cultural and human growth and development”. In his opinion, a religious education teacher is “one of the highest calling one can receive” “to help students to develop their identity and educate them to live with others, to openness and dialogue, to mutual respect and acceptance”. Mgr Kutlesa recalled the Church’s synodal journey, pointing out that for religious education teachers, such journey “takes place in schools, classrooms, schoolyards, with colleagues, with students and their parents, and with others”. The Archbishop of Zagreb encouraged teachers to “always put students and their dignity at the centre of the religious education process, so as to bring out their uniqueness, beauty and originality”. And he went on to add: “may your faith in Christ be your constant support, strength and source of inspiration in your educational, cultural and evangelizing mission”.
Valentina Bombelli