Neither secular state nor laical republic? Legal position of religious communities in communist Yugoslavia – legal framework analysis
Abstract
The paper is a contribution to a scholarly debate on the controversial secular nature of the communist state. It aims to challenge a presumed affiliation of Yugoslav communist model of church and state separation to French laical approach through examination of legal status of religious communities in Yugoslavia between 1946 and 1991. Methodologically restricted to a normative analysis of basic legal framework, the paper particularly sheds light on religious liberty, religious education and public funding of religious communities. It detects signs of evolution in official legal politics towards religion and emphasizes differences between the eight parallel Yugoslav legal systems that existed since the mid-seventies. Strictly analytical, the achieved results justify plausibility of starting presumption without pretending to give a final answer. As such, the paper presents a groundwork for further enquiries that would combine its normative findings with relevant sociological and historical data.
Key words: secularism, laicism, communism, Yugoslavia, legal status of religious communities, religious liberty, state and church relation.
References
Akmadža M., 2004, Katolička crkva u Hrvatskoj i komunistički režim 1945-1966, Rijeka, Otokar Keršovani.
Alexander, S., 1979, Church and State in Yugoslavia since 1945, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Bećirović, D., 2017, Ustavno i zakonsko reguliranje statusa vjerskih zajednica u socijalističkoj Bosni i Hercegovini od 1945. do 1991. godine, Prilozi historiji Bosne i Hercegovine u socijalističkoj Jugoslaviji, Sarajevo, UMHIS.
Blagojević, B., (ed.), 1967, Collection of Yugoslav Laws, Vol. XV: The legal status of religious communities, Beograd, Instutute of Comparative Law.
Bročić, M., The Position and Activities of the Religious Communities in Yugoslavia, in: Bociurkiw, B. and Strong, J. (eds.), 1975, Religion and Atheism in the USSR and Eastern Europe, London, Macmillan.
Geršković, L. et al., 1974, Ustavi i ustavni zakoni, Zagreb, Informator.
La posición jurídica de las comunidades religiosas en Yugoslavia, 1967, Beograd, Međunarodna štampa - Interpress.
Lazić, I., 1970, Pravni i činjenični položaj konfesionalnih zajednica u Jugoslaviji, in: Frid, Zlatko (ur.), Vjerske zajednice u Jugoslaviji, Zagreb, NP Binoza.
Marković, R., Srdić, M., 1989, Ustavi i ustavna dokumenta socijalističke Jugoslavije 1942-1988, Beograd, Naučna knjiga.
Radić, R., 2002, Država i verske zajednice: 1945-1970, Vol I-II, Beograd, INIS.
Stefanović, J., 1953, Odnos između crkve i države, Zagreb, Matica hrvatska.
Ustav FNRJ i ustavi narodnih republika, 1950, Beograd, Službeni list FNRJ.
Vidić, R., 1962, The position of the Church in Yugoslavia, Beograd, Jugoslavija.
Legal sources
Federative People Republic of Yugoslavia (FPRY) Constitution, Službeni list FNRJ [Official Gazette of FPRY], no 10/1946.
Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), Službeni list SFRJ [Official Gazette of SFRY], no 14/1963.
Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) Constitution, Službeni list SFRJ [Official Gazette of SFRY], no 9/1974.
Zakon o pravnom položaju vjerskih zajednica [Statute on legal status of religious communities], Službeni list FNRJ [Official Gazette of FPRY], no 22/1953.
Abbr. ZPPVZ, Sl. list FNRJ, no 22/1953.
Zakon o izmjenama i dopunama Zakona o pravnom položaju vjerskih zajednica [Statute on legal status of religious communities Amendments], Službeni list FNRJ [Official Gazette of FPRY], no 10/1965.
Закон о правном положају верских заједница [Statute on legal status of religious communities], Службени гласник СР Србије [Official Gazette of SR Serbia], no 44/1977.
Abbr. ЗППВЗ, Сл. гласник СРС, nо 44/1977.
Zakon o pravnom položaju vjerskih zajednica [Statute on legal status of religious communities], Narodne novine [People’s newspapers], no 14/1978, pp. 282-283 and no 52/1988.
Abbr. ZPPVZ, Nar. novine, no 14/1978.
Zakon o pravem položaju verskih skupnosti v Socialistični republiki Sloveniji [Statute on legal status of religious communities], Uradni list SR Slovenije [Official Gazette of SR Slovenia], no 15/1976, pp. 794-796 and no 42/1986.
Abbr. ZPPVS, Ur. List SRS, no 15/1976.
Zakon o pravnom položaju vjerskih zajednica [Statute on legal status of religious communities], Službeni list SR Bosne i Hercegovine [Official Gazette of SR Bosnia and Herzegovina], no 36/1976.
Abbr. ZPPVZ, Sl. List BIH, no 36/1976.
Закон за правната положба за верскити заедници [Statute on legal status of religious communities], Службен весник на СР Македонијa [Official Gazette of SR Мacedonia], no 39/1977.
Abbr. ЗППВЗ, Сл. весник СРМ, no 39/1977.
Закон о правном положају вјерских заједница [Statute on legal status of religious communities], Службени лист СР Црне Горе [Official Gazette of SR Montenegro], no 9/1977.
Abbr. ЗППВЗ, Сл. лист СРЦГ, no 9/1977.
Zakon o pravnom položaju verskih zajednica [Statute on legal status of religious communities], Službeni list SAP Vojvodine [Official Gazette of SAP Voivodina], no 18/1976.
Abbr. ZPPVZ, Sl. list SAPV, no 18/1976.
Закон о правном положају верских заједница [Statute on legal status of religious communities], Службени лист САП Косова [Official Gazette of SAP Kоsovo], no 10/1977.
Abbr. ЗППВЗ, Сл. лист САПК, no 10/1977.
Уредба за извршење закона о правном положају верских заједница, Службени гласник НР Србије [Official Gazette of PR Serbia], no 10/1962.
Abbr. УИЗППВЗ, Сл. гласник НРС, no 10/1962.
Uredba za izvršenje Zakona o pravnom položaju vjerskih zajednica, Narodne novine [People’s newspapers], no 30/1961.
Abbr. UIZPPVZ, Nar. novine, no 30/1961.
Uredba za izvršenje zakona o pravnom položaju vjerskih zajednica, Službeni list NR Bosne i Hercegovine [Official Gazette of PR Bosnia and Herzegovina], no 16/1961.
Abbr. UIZPPVZ, Sl. list NRBIH, no 16/1961.
Уредба за извршување на одделни одредби од законот за правната положба на верските заедници, Службени весник на НР Македонија [Official Gazette of PR Macedonia], no 26/1961..
Abbr. УИЗООЗППВЗ, Сл. весник НРМ, no 26/1961.
Uredbo za izvrševanje zakona o pravnem položaju verskih skupnosti, Uradni list LJR Slovenije [Official Gazette of PR Slovenia], no 20/1961..
Abbr. UIZPPVS, Ur. List LJRS, no 20/1961.