Two significant events characterized the efforts made by the Churches in Croatia for the safeguard of the creation in 2001. In June an international symposium with the theme “Ecology of the heart ecology of nature”, organized in collaboration with the Orthodox and Evangelic Churches of Croatia and Germany, was held in Zagreb. In October, the “Day of Bread, which has been celebrated for 10 years now, was the occasion for schools and parishes to focus the creativity of children and teenagers on the theme of the safeguard of the creation. This aspect, though present in catechesis, occupies, however, a marginal position in the pastoral mission of the Catholic Church and even in theological speculation. Probably, given the more pressing problems of war and the political transition faced by the country in recent years, this issue has not been felt as a priority: many Christians, under the burden of the past and present, are unable indeed to give much thought to the future. New perspectives are, however, opened up in the sphere of ecology when it is linked to the problems of sustainable development and work. Croatia is rich in natural heritage; the various regions that compose her (Danubian, Mediterranean and Alpine) are characterized by specific biodiversities; they also have landscapes of uncontaminated natural beauty and a temperate climate. The premises therefore exist for a form of sustainable development in various sectors of the economy, such as tourism. The production of ‘ecological’ foods and the exploitation of wind and sun as sources of renewable energy are also able to create new jobs and to combat the unemployment that represents one of Croatia’s main problems today, respecting at the same time the natural environment and the cultural identity of the various local communities.
