Slovenian President Borut Pahor will visit the Vatican
Slovenian President Borut Pahor will visit the Vatican today at the invitation of Pope Francis. Today’s visit marks 30 years
Slovenian President Borut Pahor will visit the Vatican today at the invitation of Pope Francis.
Today’s visit marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Slovenia and the Holy See. The Vatican recognized Slovenia’s independence in January 1992, just six months after an agreement backed by the European Community ended a brief conflict sparked by Slovenia’s secession from Yugoslavia, known as the Ten Day War.
In Yugoslavia, religion was closely linked to ethnic identity and nationalism. Croatian and Slovene Catholic heritage played a key role in justifying their break-up from Orthodox-dominated Yugoslavia, regardless of the anti-religious ideology of the communist state. Prior to today’s visit, the office of President Pahor described the papal support for independence as indispensable in establishing Slovenia as a sovereign state.
President Pahor’s visit to the Vatican represents the continued importance of religion in European national identity, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. Although only 57.8% For Slovenes who have been identified as Catholics since 2002, Catholicism continues to contribute to the country’s historical self-understanding in the latest census, in which the Slovenian government asked about religious affiliation. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the relations, expect that the talks on the visit will reflect modern Slovenia, which values its Catholic historical identity and is aware of the declining religious trend in Europe.
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