ABSTRACT
The Catholic Church under the communist regime in Yugoslavia went through various stages of coolness in its relationship to the state, but that relationship was invariably tense. The Catholic Church was aware both of the growing social crisis and of the tides of anti-Catholic propaganda. Thus, the more liberal wing of the party tried to avoid tensions between the government and the Catholic Church. The first sign of trouble for Yugoslavia was material, as the country slid into deep economic crisis during the eighties. With the economic crisis, it became evident that this unhappy country knew but crises. The Church found itself in a completely different situation at the beginning of 1990, which marked the commencement of pre-electoral party activity. The new political life showed, however, the complexity of the Church as an institution and the difficulties associated with applying clear principles in practice.
