Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina
Number of projects
once part of Yugoslavia, is becoming increasingly challenging for Catholics. Many only find the courage to return once Church life is restored in their home villages. The presence of priests and the active life of the parishes are, therefore, essential for many to consider returning. However, it is not only the decreasing number of believers, but also the increasing Islamisation of the country that is causing the local Church great concern. In recent years, Muslim centres and mosques have been built in many places with petrodollars from Saudi Arabia. Wahhabis, followers of a radical Sunni denomination that is the state religion in Saudi Arabia, are increasingly seeking to expand their influence in society. At the same time, Church representatives lament the systematic discrimination against Catholics in the labour market, in schools and in other spheres of social life. In addition, many church properties and buildings that were confiscated during the communist era have not been
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has about 3.5 million inhabitants. Religious
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affiliation is based on ethnicity: Bosniaks are Muslims, Serbs are Orthodox Christians and Croats are Catholics. Muslims form the largest religious group with 47.5% of the population. Christians make up 49% of the total population, but only a small proportion of them are Catholic. In this multi-ethnic state, the Church is committed to greater social participation for Catholics and is also a reconciling voice in society. Of the 820,000 Catholics who lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina before the war between 1992 and 1995, only 400,000 remain today. Even thirty years after the war, the wave of emigration continues, and most of the families who fled during the war have not returned. The situation in the south-eastern European country,
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Head of Section Eike Petersen
A religious sister in Sarajevo reads the ACN-supported “Catholic Weekly”.
72 | ACN Activity Report 2024| Europe – Bosnia-Herzegovina
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