Catholic and father in Croatia today: Ivan's story...
Ivan, a young father of Bosnian origin, shares his personal story with Tracey McClure
and expresses his excitement at Benedict XVI's presiding over Croatia's first
national meeting of Catholic Families.
Asked about the challenges facing the
family in today's secular world he describes overwhelmingly Catholic Croatia as a
society in which traditional family values promoted by the Church are not always
understood. Claiming how marriage is viewed by some like an old fashioned thing.
In his words : "..the family is like something that is necessary but there is nothing
nice about it ...some see it as a prison.."..
Despite this marred scenario
Ivan believes the strong ties of the Croatian Church with its people will help overcome
the threats deriving from the ongoing secularisation process.
In this interview
you can also hear a little about how the legacy of this nation's communist past
impacts on different generations. ..