Društveno-religiozne prilike u vrijeme pokretanja Službe Božje

Služba Božja prvi je list u nekadašnjoj Narodnoj Republici Hrvatakoj koji je objavljen nakon prekida diplomatskih odnosa između Jugoslavije i Svete Stolice (1953). Na temelju zakonodavstva i objavljenih povijesnih rasprava autor u kratkim crtama slijedi zaplet i rasplet tih odnosa i njihov odraz u životu Crkve u Hrvatskoj. Do prekida je dovelo sve veće ugrožavanje materijalnoga položaja Crkve oduzimanjem imovine, fizičko zlostavljanje i zatvaranja velikoga broja crkvenih osoba, gušenje religioznih sloboda, kao što su zabrana crkvenih glasila i tiska, dokidanje religiozne pouke u državnim š kolama, ometanje vjeronauka u crkvamapoticanje uspostave Društva katoličkih svećenika koji su trebali poslužiti državnoj svrsi. Nakon prekida odnosa stanje Crkve u Jugoslaviji kao da se pogoršalo. Krivnja za slabe odnose bacana je na emigrantsko svećenstvo, naročito ono okupljeno oko sv. Heronima u Rimu. Iz sjemeništa su izvlačeni kandiadti za svećeništvo. Zaatvarana su bogoslovna učilišta, a Zakonom o nacionalizaciji 1958. oduzimano je Crkvi od imovine koja joj je ostala nakon provedbe ranijih zakona. Upravo u vrijeme smrti kardinala Stepinca, simbola stradanja (1960.) počeli su pokušaji Svete Stolice za ublažavanjem teškoga stanja Crkve u Jugoslaviji. Stepinčeva smrt kao da je olakšala sporazumjevanje. U popuštanju zategnutosti otvorila se mogućnost i objavljivanju lista Služba Božja.
Divine Service was the first journal published in former People’s Republic of Croatia after the break of diplomatic relations between Yugoslavia and the Holy See (1953). On the basis of legislation and published historical disputes the author briefly follows the twists and turns of these relations as well as their reflection in the Church life in Croatia. The break was caused by ever greater jeopardizing of material position of the Church, seizure of properties, physical maltreatment and imprisonment of numerous church persons, suppression of religious freedom, like prohibition of church papers and editing, abolishing religious education in state schools, obstruction of religious education in churches, encouraging the institution of the Society of Catholic Priests who should have served the state purposes. After the relations break off the state of the Church in Yugoslavia deteriorated. The blame for poor relations was shifted on emigrant clergy, especially those gathered around St Jerome in Rome. The candidates for priests were being pulled out of seminaries. Theological schools were being closed, and the Nationalization Law (1958) was taking the Church property left after the enforcement of earlier laws. Just at the time of Cardinal Stepinac’s death, the symbol of suffering (1960), the Holy See started trying to alleviate the hard condition of the Church in Yugoslavia. The death of Stepinac seemed to have eased reaching the agreement. In easing the tensions a possibility of publishing the periodical Divine Service opened up.