RCC in Croatia opposes sex education classes

Dražen Kutleša, Archbishop of Zagreb. Photo: zg-nadbiskupija.hr

In September 2025, the Zagreb Archdiocese of the RCC (Croatia) publicly criticized the city authorities' plan to introduce a new sex education program in schools based on gender ideology and LGBT approaches. This was reported by Tribune chretienne.

The Archdiocese stated that such initiatives represent ideological interference in education and pose a risk of inappropriate intrusion into children's personal sphere. Archbishop Dražen Kutleša emphasized that schools should protect students, not expose them to early or unclear sexualization. The Church also reminded that parents have a constitutional right to determine their children's upbringing and cannot be excluded from such discussions.

The statement emphasizes that the Church does not object to medical education as such but opposes the introduction of ideological elements into school programs that are incompatible with Christian anthropology. 

The Archdiocese's concern was heightened by reports in society about so-called sexuality cards with intimate questions allegedly intended for schoolchildren. Later, city authorities refuted this information, but the very fact of the appearance of such materials, according to the Church, indicates a high risk of substituting educational goals with ideological ones.

In conclusion, the Archdiocese quoted the words of Pope Leo XIV, reminding that the Church is obliged to speak the truth about man and his dignity. Amid growing disputes over the content of school programs, the Archdiocese called for a broad public dialogue that would consider parents' rights, the protection of children, and the need to preserve schools as spaces for learning, not ideological experiments.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the WHO calls for securing equal access to IVF for same-sex couples.

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