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According to the 2011 and 2021 population censuses, the Archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek lost 78,885 Catholic believers or 16.88%. The demographic decline is particularly evident in rural parishes. The demographic decline, the rural exodus, i.e., the mass departure of the rural population to the cities and richer countries of the European Union, have been greatly changing and influencing the value-identity-religious structure of rural parishes. The paper starts with an exploration of the demographic breakdown and goes on to identify the emerging characteristics of parishes in the countryside and points to new circumstances in pastoral work. Thus, the third part of the paper elaborates on four pillars around which and on which it is necessary to build contemporary pastoral care in rural parishes; insufficient number of priests, synodality, subsidiarity and co-responsibility, and fostering a culture of meeting in pastoral activity, specifically the design of new pastoral units structured by several rural parishes that have become active centres of socio-cultural, neo-traditional »new-rural« religious life, based on capillary and categorical pastoral approach, to create religious cohesion and new religious identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the authors analyze and reflect critically on research that was conducted on 218 young adults from the eastern and western deanery of the Osijek area. Young adults participated in the Marriage Preparation course during six encounters (the encounters were held in the eastern deanery from 2 to 14 March and in the western deanery from 6 to 22 February 2017) which were organized by the Committee for Marriage and the Family of Đakovo-Osijek archdiocese and the abovementioned deaneries. Analysis and critical review of young people in the city of Osijek and nearby communities on their thoughts about values, expectations, disappointments, and hopes in the period before marriage is presented in the first part of the work. In the second part, one of the most important dimensions for a successful marriage and a happy family - the religious observance of young people - is analyzed and their religious practice is shown through the typology of (un)believers (practical believers, traditional, occasional, religious, and atheists). Among young people in the city of Osijek, 27.06 percent identified as practical believers, 35.32 percent identified as occasional believers, 26.6 percent identified as traditional believers, 8.25 percent identified as agnostics, and 1.37 percent identified as atheists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defining war as the most tragic form of anti-humanism, anti-personalism and anti-culturalism, the authors address the war crime of rape as the most difficult form of traumatic experience. The introductory section of the paper presents crimes and abuses at many levels that are characteristic for every war, including the Croatian War of Independence. Among all forms of traumatic experience, rape is reported as a complex event characterized by extremely negative emotional consequences that leave severe and lasting consequences visible in the everyday life of the traumatized person. The first part of the paper deals with life after a traumatic rape event. The second part is largely devoted to the psychosocial consequences that rape victims of war live with today. The authors use the findings of a survey of rape victims from the War of Independence in the area of the Đakovo-Osijek Archdiocese. Based on testimonies, predominant feelings among victims are described, as well as mechanisms to manage these feelings and live with the trauma. The paper also describes the challenges faced by family members and society in providing support. The third part particularly emphasizes the consequences of the Greater-Serbian aggression during the War of Independence in the Đakovo-Osijek Archdiocese [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]