Nine Protestant churches—including the Seventh-day Adventist Church—gained new recognition from the Croatian state under an agreement signed July 4. The pact covers the areas of religious education in schools and kindergartens, military service, police, hospitals and prisons, building objects for religious purposes, freedom to operate public media, and the legal right to accept marriages performed in the church, among other rights.

Previously, Croatia had only recognized the Adventist Church in Croatia as a “sect.” Under the terms of the new agreement, it will now provide limited financial support.

Miroslav Lorencin, president of the Adventist Church in Croatia, in dialoguing with government representatives during the process, pointed out the importance of the Sabbath as a day of rest for Adventist believers. He asked the government to ensure that Sabbath-keepers could worship without fear of retaliation from their jobs, military service or other professional duties. In stating this, Lorencin also pointed out the responsibility of church members to offer to perform their duties without receiving special payment after the Sabbath hours had passed.

“We are very happy to have these rights given to us and to now be recognized as a church with Protestant heritage. Comparing these with the years of struggling for freedom of Sabbath [worship] and other different problems, including prison sentences which some of our members have experienced in the 100-year history of the Adventist Church in this country, we are thankful to God and appreciate the initiative of the government,” said Lorencin.

Agreements were also signed with the Lutheran, Calvinist, Baptist, Pentecostal and other Evangelical Churches. Last year, similar pacts were signed with Islamic leaders and with the Orthodox Church. As 88 percent of Croatian people consider themselves to be Roman Catholic, a concordat was signed a few years ago between the government and the Holy See at the Vatican. Croatian government leaders are expected to sign similar agreements with Jewish leaders and other religions later this year.