The Campus of the Catholic University of Croatia Blessed

The Archbishop of Zagreb, Msgr. Dražen Kutleša, Grand Chancellor of the Catholic University of Croatia, presided over the blessing of the Campus of the Catholic University of Croatia in Zagreb on Monday, June 1, in the new University Rectorate building.

In his address, Archbishop Kutleša expressed gratitude to "the Lord for twenty years of the journey of the Catholic University of Croatia and for all those who envisioned it with faith, established it with love, built it with patience, and bore it faithfully. Today, we invoke God's blessing upon the renovated and newly arranged campus, its edifices and spaces, but even more upon the people who will learn and teach, research and create, serve and witness here. This campus is not just an arranged space for work and study. It is a space of mission; a place where people of truth are formed, where bearers of responsibility are raised, and where servants of the common good are prepared, for the benefit of the Church, Croatian society, and future generations."

Referring to the parable of the vineyard from the Gospel of Mark, the Archbishop addressed the professors, staff, and students: "Dear professors and staff, your mission in this vineyard is great and noble. The knowledge you transmit is not merely a series of data, but a service to the truth that enlightens and liberates man. The youth entrusted to you seek not only expertise but also testimony; not only method but also meaning; not only education but also upbringing. And you, dear students, are called to responsibly manage the gift entrusted to you. The time of study is not just preparation for a future profession, but also a school of maturity, conscience, and service. May Christ, the True Light who illuminates all human knowledge and reveals the fullness of human dignity, guide you on this path."

In conclusion, Msgr. Kutleša emphasized that Christ is "the cornerstone of every truly human and Christian building. If He is not the foundation, even the most brilliant institutions can remain empty inside. But if Christ is the foundation, then human effort, scientific research, educational work, and daily faithfulness gain permanence and meaning." At the end of the blessing, Archbishop Filippo Iannone, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, sprinkled the new Rectorate building with holy water.

Following the blessing, the Rector of the Catholic University of Croatia, Professor Željko Tanjić, noted that the university Campus "connects the educational, scientific, research, spiritual, and social life of the university community into a single whole. A campus—an open space or green area with buildings containing halls, classrooms, scientific laboratories, a library, a university chapel, a student restaurant, a student dormitory, and the university administration building along its edges—reminds us by its unity that the university touches man in all his aspects: in the acquisition of knowledge, in scientific skills, in personal development, in living the spiritual nature of the human being, and in the building of responsibility toward society, the homeland, and the entire human community."

Rector Tanjić thanked Cardinal Josip Bozanić and the Grand Chancellor, Msgr. Dražen Kutleša, for the support the Archdiocese of Zagreb provides to the University. He also referred to the southeastern part of the Campus, which was significantly damaged in the 2020 earthquakes and renovated through the efforts of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. "The Government of the Republic of Croatia enabled the Catholic University of Croatia, through its National Recovery and Resilience Plan, to be a beneficiary of funds from the EU Solidarity Fund, the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia," the Rector added.

Gordan Jandroković, Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, congratulated the University on its 20th anniversary and thanked it for everything it does for academic pluralism in the homeland. "I believe that excellent students will grow here, and tomorrow, important and responsible people will lead this country in various segments. I believe they will succeed in transferring everything they have learned here—not only knowledge but also faithfulness and spirituality—to Croatian society," said Mr. Jandroković.

On behalf of the Catholic University of Croatia, Rector Tanjić presented a commemorative plaque to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, as an expression of gratitude to the Croatian Government for its wholehearted support in the renovation of the Campus. Prime Minister Plenković emphasized that the Government had invested 33.5 million euros in the Campus renovation project as part of the major post-earthquake reconstruction in Zagreb. "We are convinced that more than 1,700 students, as well as the professors and staff of CUC, will enjoy the new spaces. I believe that the Catholic University of Croatia will continue to be a place of knowledge, dialogue, responsibility, and humanity," said the Prime Minister.

The blessing was attended by Cardinal Josip Bozanić, Archbishop Emeritus of Zagreb; Msgr. Filippo Iannone, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops; Msgr. Leopoldo Girelli, Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Croatia; Msgr. Marko Kovač, Auxiliary Bishop of Zagreb; Rector Željko Tanjić with members of the Senate; Gordan Jandroković, Speaker of the Croatian Parliament; Professor Radovan Fuchs, Minister of Science, Education, and Youth; rectors of other Croatian universities, and other distinguished guests.