Hrvatska

The vast majority of Croats traditionally belong to the Roman Catholic Church (over 80%, in Istria a good 90%). There are also Serbian Orthodox, Muslim, and Protestant minorities in the country. The Church plays an important role in the lives of Croats, albeit not as dominant as in Italy (socially) or Poland (politically). The Catholic faith serves primarily as a unifying bond between Croats and a demarcation from their Orthodox (Serbia, Montenegro) and Muslim (Bosnia-Herzegovina) neighbors, thus also legitimizing their integration into the West. Various monastic orders have also played a certain role in Croatian history, and their architectural monuments bear witness to their once active missionary activity.