STA, 11 December 2019 - A priest from the Murska Sobota diocese has been found guilty of sexual violence by the Vatican's top doctrinaire body and ordered to undergo therapy, in the latest chapter of a case that has caused a huge rift in a rural parish in eastern Slovenia, several media have reported.

Andrej Zrim, a priest at the Murska Sobota parish, has been "found guilty in an out-of-court criminal procedure of sexual violence against minors and adults in accordance with the instructions of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith", reads a short notice carried in the diocese bulletin in Murska Sobota last Sunday.

"He has been ordered to take certain measures, including apologising to the victims and the parish community. He is prohibited from returning to parish service without the bishop's explicit approval, and banned from giving mass in public until the appropriate therapy is successfully concluded."

Zrim had been deposed as Ljutomer parish priest in April 2018 under instructions from a task force for resolving sexual abuse cases at the Slovenian Bishops' Conference.

But the decision, executed by Murska Sobota Bishop Peter Štumf, proved highly controversial and split the Ljutomer parish, according to the newspaper Dnevnik and domovina.je, a conservative news portal.

A camp supporting the priest started sending out anonymous and public letters in his defence and some alleged that Zrim was the victim of revenge by the bishop.

The supporters stepped up in his defence despite the priest having been convicted of assault on a minor 15 years ago and having a reputation in the local community for using severe corporeal punishment methods in Sunday school.

What therapy exactly the priest is supposed to undergo remains unclear, but Bishop Štumf indicated in a statement for Dnevnik it may be some kind of psychotherapy.

He mentioned a German Benedictine priest, Anselm Grün, as an example of "an extraordinarily successful psychotherapist" and several institutions in Italy.

Dnevnik said Zrim had never shown remorse and was a repeat offender, which raises questions about the effectiveness of any sort of psychological counselling for paedophiles.

The case against the priest was brought by three families, who decided to use Church channels instead of going to the police. However, Dnevnik reported that the police may yet take up the case as a matter of official duty considering the latest revelations.

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 23 August

Mladina: Catholic Church Should Not Promote Domobranci

STA - Mladina takes a look at the emergence of organisations celebrating quislings after the fall of the Berlin Wall in Eastern Europe, saying the Catholic Church is behind them to cover up its own collaboration with the Nazi and Fascist occupying forces before and during World War II.

The left-leaning weekly takes as a starting point for Friday's editorial an invitation to a commemoration organised by "New Slovenian Testament, an association which promotes the doings of the Domobranci home-guard during WWII".

In the majority of European countries, with the exception of Austria and Italy, which have not undergone denazification, such associations "do not and cannot exist".

"Eastern Europe is quite another story. After the fall of Communism, associations promoting quislings emerged in many countries," says editor-in-chief Grega Repovž.

He notes that Croatia's ruling party HDZ does not hide its fondness of the Ustashe, and Slovenia's right is firmly connected with organisations celebrating the quislings.

In both Slovenia and Croatia, the Church was the most responsible for the emergence of the quislings - the Domobranci and the Ustashe and for collaboration.

Repovž says that 80 years on, it needs to be clearly said that the Church is behind organisations such as New Slovenian Testament.

"The Church is again abusing the Domobranci and their descendants, their pain, the actual pain, which results from the Communists' post-WWII doings, and also the pain which comes from the inability to face historical facts".

"The Domobranci soldiers were national traitors, but they were also the victims of the Church and politics at the time."

And just as it used to lure innocent people into the Domobranci home-guard and the Catholic militias through its power as institution, the Church is now similarly abusing them to conceal the historical facts, says Repovž.

Just like its role during WWII cannot be limited to Bishop Gregorij Rožman (1883-1959) attending the Domobranci oath to Hitler in Ljubljana, its role at commemorations such as the one organised by New Slovenian Testament is not innocent.

"The leadership of the Slovenian Church abuses religion, believers, Domobranci survivors and their descendants so that it can continue to blur historical facts.

"It is doing the same in dealing with sexual abuse. It simply ignores facts, abusing the power of faith and the trust of believers," Repovž says under the headline In the Name of Mary, the Queen of Slovenians.

Demokracija: Private property in peril as socialism makes comeback

STA - Expressing indignation over the comeback of socialist ideas, including in the west, the latest editorial of  Demokracija points to the state supervision of privately-owned forests as proof that "the worm of socialism remains nested deep in the brains of Slovenians".

The right-leaning weekly paper's editor-in-chief Jože Biščak takes the ongoing issues with the culling of wild animals and the protests against the increasing use of off-road vehicles in forests as examples to argue that private property as a basic tenet of capitalism is under attack.

While over 75% of forests in Slovenia are in private ownership, the government is using a number of regulations to claim the right to serve as the only righteous guardian of forests as a common good, a typically socialist supposition.

"The framer, who is also the owner of the forest, does not have the right to settle his accounts with wolves that are slaughtering his sheep and goats ... He is not even allowed to set wild animal traps on his own property."

The same applies when it comes to forest visitors, who need to be granted free access to walk, and pick mushrooms and fruits no matter if the owner agrees or not.

The owners merely have duties, Biščak says, arguing it would not be surprising if things once get to a point when "an ecosocialist will file charges against the owner for getting bitten by a tick".

Meanwhile, off-road vehicles are reportedly destroying the forests, endangering the hikers, scaring game etc., but the only ones that do not get asked for an opinion are the forest owners who may perhaps be using such vehicles to supervise their property, Demokracija's editor says.

Biščak, who claims that "this government is blurring the line between what is state-owned, public and private", goes on to point "to the loud cheering of the media mainstream when inspectors mount an offensive an announce how many private entrepreneurs they have fined".

"One needs to have a sick mind to celebrate something like that. If the share of the 'swindlers' is high, this means something is wrong with taxation and regulations. Disregard for laws is a phenomenon that accompanies any unjust state," Biščak says.

He argues under Don't Steal, the State Does Not Like Competition that people who get robbed by the state should only be expected to look for ways to do the same to the state in order to survive.

STA, 15 August 2019 - Thousands of Catholic pilgrims have gathered at religious shrines devoted to the Virgin Mary across Slovenia to celebrate her assumption into heaven (on 14 August). The largest crowd converged on Brezje for mass celebrated by Archbishop of Ljubljana Stanislav Zore, who spoke about the meaning of hope in his sermon.

"Man needs hope more than the famished need bread, more than the thirsty need water ... Once we've given up hope, the selfish me goes wild, seeing only oneself and ones needs," the archbishop told more than 5,500 believers congregated outside the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians.

The church in the subalpine village of Brezje (NW) is Slovenia's most popular pilgrimage site. It was reportedly the scene of a miraculous healing 156 years ago and several more after that.

In his sermon, the archbishop thanked all of those who aspire to make Slovenia as society open to life and those who make the effort so that all children should have equal opportunities to develop their potential, especially in education.

"I'd like to thank you for demanding justice for all; to everyone putting in their effort to have the Constitutional Court decision on funding of private schools implemented," he said.

The court mandated in 2014 that private primary schools teaching nationally-approved curricula should be granted full rather than 85% government funding just like public schools. However, the parliament has still not implemented the ruling.

The pilgrims have come to Brezje from all over the country as well as from abroad and many more are still expected there later in the day. According to the head of the Brezje pilgrimage office, Andreja Eržen Firšt, the shrine attracts more than 10,000 people every year and their numbers keep increasing.

The number of pilgrims at Brezje has been building up in the days ahead of Assumption Day, many of whom have come on foot. Every year Roma families from around Slovenia come to Brezje at this time of year with their pastoral leader to spend some time in retreat there. This year more 350 have come.

Many Slovenian churches and other shrines are dedicated to Mary and holidays celebrating the virgin are popular among believers. As a result, Slovenian bishops entrusted the Slovenian nation into her hands in 1992. Since that year, Assumption Day has been observed as public holiday in Slovenia.

STA, 21 May 2019 - The Slovenian Bishops' Conference has expressed regret after a Catholic civil initiative publicly named priests suspected of child abuse. But the bishops said they were willing to cooperate with civil initiatives and state authorities providing assistance to victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

The bishops and other church representatives would like to receive the victims and their families and support them during the process of dealing with the consequences of sexual abuse, the Bishops' Conference said in a press release on Tuesday.

"The Conference's group of experts designed to handle sexual abuse cases provides legal help and psychological support to the victims as well as suggests measures to bishops and church officials in individual cases," reads the release.

The expert group is the Catholic Church's authority tackling this issue, thus it is tasked with cooperation with civil initiatives and state authorities fighting child sexual abuse.

The Bishops' Conference said that the Church authorities had been handling sexual abuse cases on their own as well, while supporting police in investigation procedures.

It pointed out that the Church's legal procedures were dependent on police work since the Church itself did not have its own forensics or investigators.

The Catholic Church thus relies on state investigative authorities' findings including in establishing the truth in criminal cases against sexual integrity, particularly when offences were allegedly carried out years or decades ago.

The conference's release expressed regret over some individuals and civil initiatives publicly revealing the names of alleged abusers without those suspects being proven guilty.

"The Bishops' Conference believes that one needs to preserve not just the dignity of victims but also of suspected offenders, protecting their good name from getting sullied," said the release.

Related: Sex Abuse Initiative Files Complaints Against Seven Priests

The civil initiative Dovolj.je (It's Enough) said on Monday that three months after being launched, it had received sexual abuse reports about 15 priests who were named and two anonymous ones which did not mention accused priests by name.

At its press conference, the initiative revealed a few names of alleged perpetrators, with one of the victims revealing the name of her alleged molester.

STA, 20 May 2019 - Three months after being launched, a civil initiative fighting sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and providing assistance to victims has received reports about 15 priests who allegedly abused 25 victims. Criminal complaints have been filed against seven priests so far.

Talking to the press on Monday, Matej Križanič of Dovolj.je (It's Enough) said that 14 of the victims were male and 11 female; 15 of them were underage. Most of them came from Ljubljana.

Križanič, a permanent deacon and assistant director of the Bežigrad Social Services, said that the initiative had filed criminal complaints against seven priests.

He added that a support group for victims would be established in October, led by two acclaimed therapists.

"After three months of listening to many testimonies, we are even more determined to go all the way in supporting the victims," said Igor Vovk, the director of Catholic portal Iskreni.net.

A victim of sexual abuse also talked at the press conference. She said she had decided to speak out to encourage other victims.

Expressing disappointment that her molester faced no sanctions and was still allowed to work with youths, she revealed his name. The priest in question started working in the Murska Sobota diocese this year.

STA, 21 April 2019 - Easter festivities will culminate with processions and holy masses glorifying the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the predominantly Catholic Slovenia on Sunday, followed by family gatherings.

Religious and many non-religious families will get together for the traditional Easter breakfast, a feast consisting of the food that was taken to blessings in baskets on Easter Eve.

A typical basket includes "pirhi", the elaborately decorated hard-boiled eggs, as well as ham, horse radish, the potica cake, and selected local specialities.

Many families and villages will hold traditional ester egg competitions, involving egg rolling, bowling or trying to target the egg with a coin.

Related: Slovenian Easter Traditions Live on in Koroška (Feature)

In many a village, Easter processions will be accompanied by bell-ringing and loud banging produced by small cannons or mortars using gunpowder or carbide.

The smaller Protestant community, centred in the north-east of the country, will have children hunting for Easter eggs and bunnies.

In his Easter message, Archbishop of Ljubljana Stanislav Zore wished everyone who is looking for truth to "feel the joy of meeting Jesus", just like his disciples did when they found his grave empty.

Bishop Geza Filo, the leader of the Evangelic Lutheran Church, said that it was not democracy, market economy, welfare state or psychoanalysis that can bring a true and lasting solution, but only faith.

The extended weekend will run until Easter Monday, a public holiday.

STA, 6 March 2019 - Archbishop of Ljubljana Stanislav Zore has argued for the weekly paper Družina that sexual abuse within the Catholic Church is not a systemic problem. While underlining efforts to secure as much protection for minors as possible, he said the Church was part of human society "with all its flaws".

Zore said that "we will never reach a point where there will be no more mistakes, when there won't be a single case of abuse".

He argued that "we remain a human society, the Church and society in general, with all its flaws. "Then it would probably be necessary to root out people as such. And this is not possible."

The Church is however striving "to reach the highest possible level of protection for minors and everybody else within the Church and society at large".

Echoing the recent statements of Pope Francis, Zore said that the Church is not at point zero when it comes to efforts to tackle sexual abuse, with "some Bishops Conferences starting on this path already in the previous century".

"In Slovenia too, we've had the first guidelines since 2006 which we've been upgrading until last year," he said, announcing additional upgrades when necessary.

He meanwhile believes the discussion should give more focus to prevention, meaning education. Listing possible measures, he mentioned caution when selecting candidates for theology studies and thorough checks after the studies.

As to his conviction that sexual abuse within the Church is not a systemic issue, he spoke of "rotten apples among many healthy ones, although this does not reduce their responsibility or the responsibility of the Church".

"In Boston, an example of tackling sexual abuse, the share of perpetrators among all priests in the period for which cases of sexual abuse were handled was 2%. In Philadelphia the share was 1.4%, in Chicago 1.8%," Zore said.

He dismissed those arguing the Church no longer had the right to preach the gospel, saying that although most cases of paedophilia occurred within families, he did not preconceive of parents in general as paedophiles.

"Nobody is without sin. But being a sinner should not mean you giving up your calling as a mother, father. Follow this calling, because it is yours. In the same way, preaching the gospel remains the calling of the Church."

STA, 22 February 2019 - The Archbishop of Ljubljana Stanislav Zore expects that the ongoing meeting of Catholic Church dignitaries on sexual abuse would result in a handbook on how to handle such cases. Talking to the Catholic Radio Ognjišče on Friday, he also encouraged believers to fight against paedophilia in society.

The meeting, which started yesterday and will run until Sunday, will have to result in "concrete steps, a handbook of sorts, to help handle and resolve such cases," he said.

"This does not mean that we have nothing now. We have everything that was expected, what the Holy See demanded. We have guidelines... but things do need to be upgraded."

He said that he had met a victim abused by a priest. "It is very important to show deep respect for these people, their intimacy and privacy."

He added that his knowledge on the topic was expanding, especially about the far reaching effects of such abuse. "The earlier in childhood it happens, the farther it reaches and marks the rest of [the victim's] life."

"These people definitely need empathy, concrete measures to help their treatment, the healing process. Their families also need this."

He said that good priests are also victims, many are distressed because they are being viewed as potential paedophiles. "They also need support and encouragement."

"But on the other hand this is a part of our penance for the sins of individuals within Church."

He also called on believers to "report sexual abuse if they detect it" instead of spreading rumours "that are no use to anybody".

"If names and concrete matters are known, I expect them to be reported... It is also important that believers seek to uproot this evil from society in general. It is a daunting task but this does not mean we should not attempt it."

He also commented on the launch of an initiative fighting for the protection of victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by priests earlier this week by a group of Catholic Church members, including priests.

He said the Church would cooperate with the initiative but also expressed hope that "this group of people will study the relevant legislation and try to understand why such accusations may not produce the outcomes expected" by those who voice the charges.

"These are complex affairs that demand complex treatment, of course in line with canon law and the legislation of the society in which the cases are reported to the court."

STA, 19 February 2019 - A civil initiative has been formed to fight sexual abuse by members of the Slovenian Catholic Church, and to provide comprehensive assistance to victims of such abuse, including psychosocial and legal assistance in criminal and church proceedings.

The initiative Dovolj.je (It's Enough), which was presented to the press on Tuesday, calls for full protection of victims of sexual abuse and urges the Slovenian Catholic Church to show zero tolerance to such acts.

It connects active Catholics of various professions who have indirectly or directly faced sexual abuse in the Slovenian Catholic Church.

Its member Igor Vovk said at today's press conference in Ljubljana that the initiative had been launched because its members believed that the Catholic Church did too little to protect victims of sexual abuse.

Vovk, who heads the Catholic portal Iskreni.net, added that the Catholic Church should also take more concrete, quicker and more determinate measures against perpetrators.

"It's hard to hear testimonies by victims of sexual abuse, and it's even harder to hear they haven't been taken seriously by those in charge," he said.

"Many perpetrators have faced no consequences, and when measures were taken, they were too mild. We won't tolerate this any longer, regardless of how high the position the Church dignitary involved in such acts," added Vovk.

Members of the initiative and experts in various fields may as of today be contacted at the website dovolj.je, which is a "safe space" for the victims to report and testify about sexual abuse by Church representatives.

All Slovenian bishops are expected to take every reported case of abuse by any priest or religion teacher seriously and remove the perpetrator from the position where they can repeat the act.

Tomaž Pisk, who represented several sexual abuse victims in church proceedings, noted that the guidelines for what measures to take in case of sexual abuse, whose latest version was adopted in 2014, were not being fully implemented.

Pisk added that the initiative encouraged everybody to report sexual abuse by clerics at the website, even if the abuse had been experienced a long time ago and even if the perpetrator had already died.

The initiative was presented last week to Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore, the head of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference, which said in a press release today that the Slovenian Catholic Church had zero tolerance for any case of sexual abuse.

The conference said a series of measures had been taken in that department, including the establishment in 2009 of a task force for resolving sexual abuse cases. According to its statistics, the group dealt with two reports of sexual abuse in 2017.

So far, the task force looked into 12 cases of alleged sexual abuse. Only four of the cases were also investigated by the police, according to a report by public broadcaster TV Slovenija.

The perpetrators in all 12 cases were men, clerics, while the victims were all minors, five girls and seven boys.

The task force also told TV Slovenija that a total of 18 priests exited the clergy since 1993 in Slovenia. Some did so of their own volition, some were stripped of their function as a punishment.

All our stories about the Catholic Church in Slovenia can be found here

STA, 21 December 2018 - The opposition parties the Democrats (SDS) and the National Party (SNS) launched an impeachment motion against Prime Minister Marjan Šarec on Friday. The parties decided for the move after the SDS's latest attempt to secure more funds for private schools failed in parliament yesterday.