Glas Koncila

Publishing history

The newspaper (whose title means "Voice of the Council") began publication on October 4, 1962, at the initiative of the Zagreb Franciscans and based upon a decision made by the archbishop of Zagreb, Franjo Šeper, as a mimeographed bulletin which reported on the events of the Second Vatican Council.

It was first printed on September 29, 1963, with the motto "The New Face of the Church". The publisher was the Archdiocesan Cathedra in Zagreb and the editor-in-chief was the head of this institution. It was issued every two weeks until the end of 1984. In December 1984, the publication's editor Živko Kustić was put under investigation and was sentenced to two months in jail the following month.

Since January 1985, Glas Koncila has been a weekly newspaper, published jointly by the archdioceses of Zagreb, Split, Sarajevo, Rijeka and Zadar. From 1987 to 1991, the archdiocese of Belgrade was also one of the publishers. Since 2004, the publisher is again the Archdiocesan Cathedra in Zagreb.

A promoter of conciliar renewal

Glas Koncila, a Catholic religious newspaper, reports on the events of the Church where the Croatian language is spoken and the Universal Church, while also covering other important events from the religious point of view, particularly in the light of ethics, Christian morality and Catholic social doctrine. It popularizes various religious contents and explains the Sunday Biblical messages in a contemporary context, thereby placing itself directly in the service of the Gospels.

In the Church where the Croatian language is spoken, this publication promotes Conciliar renewal and the ecumenical spirit. It faithfully transmits the official opinions of the leadership of the Church among the Croats and comments unofficially on current events in the Church, nation and the world, under the inspiration of the Gospels and Church history.

Glas Koncila is open to a broad spectrum of Church-historical opinions, covers important events in the non-Catholic religious communities that live in this region, responds to current questions, covers important cultural events and promotes human and Christian solidarity.

Independence and openness

Glas Koncila has also maintained its independence from the political authorities in democratic Croatia, in which it has increasingly opened discussion on actual topics concerning overall national life, promoting the values of the Gospels as the foundation of a healthy and pluralistic society.

Glas Koncila devotes particular attention to social questions in the light of Catholic social doctrine, expanding its coverage of culture and recognizing culture as a synthesis of the religious and all that is human. Therefore, it serves as the co-organizer for meetings of Catholic artists. By awarding the Golden Oil Lamp, the newspaper promotes ethical and moral values in Croatian film production.

Glas Koncila devotes particular attention to the education of children, issues a monthly children's publication, Mali Koncil, and organizes Catechism Olympics which involve several thousand catechism students in competitions at the parish, deanery, diocesan and national levels.

Through the publication of the Code of Canon Law, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a major biography of the Blessed Archbishop Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, the Contracts between the Holy See and the Republic of Croatia, and many other works, Glas Koncila has affirmed itself as a distinguished publisher.