Under His Eye: Croatia's Public Prayers for Women’s Subordination

Introduction

If you've ever watched “The Handmaid’s Tale,” you’ll likely recall the episode that reveals how the dystopian reality in the show came to be. That particular episode stands out for me. No one saw it coming; no one recognized the emerging threat—until it was too late.

A quick glance at the daily news in recent years shows that women’s rights are under attack or regressing rather than advancing. Whether it is the U.S. and Roe v. Wade being overturned, abortion in Italy being questioned more than 4 decades after it was legalized, or the total gender apartheid in Afghanistan. Given the current global political climate in the West and the rise of far-right movements, this is, unfortunately, not surprising.

Croatia, a small country in Central-Eastern Europe known mainly for its tourism, is not immune to these trends. The rise of the far-right, a hostile stance towards migrants, gender-based violence, and a yearning for a return to traditional values are all evident here.

Although Croatia has recently classified femicide as a distinct criminal act, progress seems to be slipping backward. Every first Saturday of the month, Catholic men gather in Croatian city squares to pray for women’s subordination and the preservation of traditional masculinity.

Yet, many Croatians seem indifferent, adopting an “ignore them, and they’ll go away” attitude towards the “Muževni budite” (“Be Manly”) movement. However, the reality is that these gatherings are growing in numbers and influence. The key takeaway here is that religious extremism can shape public policy and undermine basic rights. Failing to challenge these prayers only makes them more dangerous.

Background

The Catholic Church has played an important role in shaping societal values and gender norms in Croatia for a very long time, with many of these traditional roles persisting even today. The Croatian identity has been influenced by Catholicism, which has reinforced particular standards of masculinity and gender.

Krunoslav Puškar, the founder of the “Be Manly” initiative, gave an interview to Glas Koncila (a Croatian Catholic weekly), and revealed that his inspiration for these public prayers came from Poland, where he observed men praying like that.

In recent years, Poland has seen a growing number of events where men gather in public squares to pray, demonstrating their commitment to the Catholic faith and traditional values. These gatherings have been organized in response to the perceived rise of secularism and the erosion of traditional family life.

Puškar was struck by how uncommon such scenes were in Croatia, where the act of praying the rosary is often perceived as something for grandmothers and the elderly. His goal was to demonstrate that successful, young men could also practice this. And that led him to organizing the first gathering.

Public prayer gatherings

While prayer itself might seem benign, the content of these prayers raises significant concerns. The men kneel before an image of Mary, praying for women’s subordination and a return to traditional gender roles. The irony of invoking Mary, a revered female figure, for such purposes is striking.

But subordination is not the only theme in these prayers. The men also pray for the restoration of traditional gender roles: for men to once again become the heads of their households, for women to dress modestly, for the preservation of premarital chastity, for the renewal of Catholic marriages, and, unsurprisingly, for the end of abortion.

The promotional materials used to recruit men to their gatherings reflect similar themes. In these images, a man is shown wearing a watch and clutching a rosary, his fist clenched, while his wife lingers in the background, blurred and out of focus. Their message is clear: women are not the head of their family. Their marketing slogans include the phrase “be a man,” which pushes the idea that true manhood is tied to religion and a strict adherence to traditional roles.

This message creates a division between "real men" and those who are seen as not manly enough, specifically, men who reject traditional family roles and expectations. For example, the "not manly enough" would be those who actively share household responsibilities, express their emotions, and advocate for gender equality.

Some of them even bring their young sons to these gatherings, which is concerning. Not only are these children exposed to controversial events accompanied by the media, but they are also being taught from a young age that their mothers, sisters, and future wives are less important than them.

The societal response

While these men pray, feminist organizations across Croatia organize counter-protests, gathering in the same public squares to oppose the messages being promoted. Despite casual observers suggesting most people disagree with the gatherings, only a small number join the protests. Those who do are often met with insults, accused of being "un-Christened," and other taunts. Police, meanwhile, ensure the safety of the praying men, as if expecting violence from the other side.

When interviewed, many say they don't approve (over 70% according to the surveys made in March 2024) though often their frustration is more about the disruption on a busy Saturday morning than the prayers' content. Many of them actually object to such public displays of prayer, but fewer disagree with the underlying beliefs. Comments on social media often show support for the prayers, with comments like "every prayer is beautiful" and "we’ve strayed from traditional family roles and need to return."

One interesting aspect is a number of women supporting these prayers. They support a return to gender norms that prioritize men as the dominant gender and women mainly as the caregivers. However, these women aren’t allowed to pray alongside the men. They watch from a distance, standing rather than kneeling. Still, many choose to do this and view the protesters across the square as the true enemy.

Legal and media silence

Legally, the gatherings continue unchallenged. Though calls have been made for the president and prime minister to intervene, no action has been taken. The public square, officials say, is for everyone. Yet, this seems inconsistent; I once saw police stop a street performer in the same square for "harassing" people with his music. There’s clearly a double standard.

The media’s coverage of these events is similarly lacking. They merely report on the gatherings without investigating the organizers or their motivations. It seems there’s a widespread fear, among politicians, media, and society, of questioning anything related to religion.

But religion, like any set of ideas, should be open to scrutiny and even satire, especially when it attempts to interfere with the lives of thousands of women and girls. If they can question what women should wear, we should be able to question whether their beliefs should influence how we live.

We need journalism that goes further, examining the reasons behind these gatherings and prayers, their motivations, and their ultimate goals, in order for the people to fully understand what is happening. People will then be able to decide for themselves whether or not to support the movement.

The threat to women’s rights

When these prayers first started, many dismissed them as a joke, something that would fade away. But they haven’t. Instead, the gatherings have spread to other cities, and participation in Zagreb, where it all began, has grown.

Their final goal is to bring back traditional values, and move Croatia towards a system like the one we saw in Poland. There, the combination of some of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws, limited access to contraceptives, and resistance to comprehensive sexual education has resulted in severe consequences, including many women suffering or even dying due to inadequate or unavailable medical care.

There should be no restrictions on what women can and cannot wear or do with their bodies by any church, religion, or belief system. While we often hear that women in Europe enjoy greater equality and access to various rights, it's essential to acknowledge that issues of gender inequality and restrictive practices are still present within our countries. The struggle for women's rights and freedoms is ongoing and affects us all.

Conclusion

As a young woman from Croatia and an advocate for women's rights, it's difficult to remain silent when the Church—or organizations claiming connection with religious institutions—try to interfere with my personal freedoms. Instead of moving forward and continuing the fight that our grandmothers began, it feels like we are regressing. With each election, we seem to be losing more of our rights or teetering on the edge of losing them, rather than gaining new ones.

True equality between men and women is still on the horizon, and for us to reach it, we need to actively work toward it.

To change this mindset, we must educate young girls about the rights they should have and how those rights can be won. We need to show them how fragile these freedoms are and how quickly they can be taken away. Afghanistan and the U.S. serve as good examples of how rapidly women's rights can be erased. It's important to recognize that the scope and availability of these rights vary significantly across different regions. Understanding these differences helps underline the need for ongoing attention and localized advocacy to protect and advance women's rights everywhere.

Years ago, I read a book by Frédéric Martel, where one sentence stayed with me: "Luckily in France, we believe more in poetry than in religion." That resonates deeply with me, as I, too, place more faith in poetry, literature, and the power of the human mind than in religious dogma. I don’t want to revert to invented "traditional values" or restrictive gender roles, and frankly, it scares me. The rise of far-right movements in Europe, the wars, human tragedies, climate change, and growing religious extremism—it all scares me.

This is why I write—to speak my truth and give myself a chance to help change the world, rather than sit idly by, waiting for things to improve on their own.

Hopefully, Croatia won’t turn into a place like Gilead, where fundamentalism takes hold. I hope these ridiculous and frightening public prayers eventually fade away, and people come to understand that their religion is not everyone’s religion. Their way of life isn’t the only way or the best way for everyone.

In the end, the goal should be a peaceful world where both women and men can live freely and equally, without fear of oppression.