Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, visited the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Belgrade on Friday, 13 June 2025. The visit took place as part of an official stay in the Republic of Serbia that included Sremska Mitrovica and Belgrade. The Archdiocese of Belgrade and representatives of Belgrade Cathedral reported on the meeting on Saturday, 14 June, and the report was carried by IKA.
The minister was accompanied by Mate Granić, special foreign-policy adviser to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia; associates from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs; Ivan Zeko-Pivač, Deputy Croatian Ambassador to Serbia; Consul General Velimir Pleša; and Jasna Vojnić, president of the Croatian National Council in Serbia, together with her associates. Karolina Bašić, director of the NIU “Hrvatska riječ,” and Josip Bako, acting director of the Institute for the Culture of Vojvodina Croats, also attended the meeting. Rev. Mihael Sokol, parish priest and rector of Marijanum, welcomed them on behalf of the cathedral parish.
The visit provided an opportunity to learn about the work of the Croatian community in Belgrade and the activities of the Antun Gustav Matoš Foundation, as well as their needs, challenges and plans for the future. According to the report on the meeting, particular emphasis was placed on the significant assistance Croatia has provided to Croats in Serbia through various projects in recent years, and on its intention to continue this support in the future.
Some Catholic dioceses, archdioceses and parishes have also received assistance. In these communities, alongside believers of other nationalities, a significant number of Croats and people of Croatian descent also gather.
Special attention during the meeting was given to projects carried out at the Marijanum complex over the previous two years. They included construction work and the outfitting of spaces, as well as various spiritual, social and community programmes. Funding for these projects was provided by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds of the Republic of Croatia and the Central State Office for Croats Abroad.
According to the report, the meeting emphasized that the projects not only help strengthen the community of Catholic Croats but also foster connections with other believers and people of goodwill, regardless of nationality. It was also noted that Croatia would continue to support initiatives that strengthen the entire Catholic community in Serbia, including the small Catholic community in Belgrade and the Archdiocese of Belgrade.
After the meeting, the guests toured the Marijanum complex: the cathedral; the future museum, which was being fitted out at the time of the visit with funding from a cross-border cooperation programme; the “Fantasy” kindergarten; the parish house; and the “Stella” guesthouse, which is part of the Pope John the Good Pastoral Centre.
Participants expressed satisfaction with the restoration of the complex, noting that it had also prompted a renewal of the life of the Catholic community that gathers there. The report described Marijanum as an important religious, cultural, ecumenical and interreligious centre that brings together many people of goodwill at various events.
At the end of the tour, the visiting participants attended Mass at the Franciscan Church of St Anthony of Padua in Belgrade. Over the previous two years, Croatia had also supported the interior restoration of the church.
