Legal standing of churches and religious communities in the kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians and the kingdom of Yugoslavia

Abstract

This paper shows how the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia legally regulated the position and organisation of religious communities, which after unification found themselves in a joint and multi-confessional state. Although the concept of complete separation of churches and religious communities from the state was not implemented in the Constitutions of 1921 and 1931, religious communities were very influential in social life and politics, and after several unsuccessful draft laws on religions and interreligious relations, specific laws that regulated the legal position of many churches and religious communities that were represented in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia were adopted. In addition, negotiations with the Holy See were carried out in order to conclude a concordat that would determine the status of the Catholic Church in the Yugoslav state in detail. From the adopted constitutions and the entire religious legislation on individual religions and their communities in the common state, it can be concluded that the principle of the state church was abandoned, as well as that religious communities enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy in regulating their own organisation and internal affairs. Nevertheless, the election of supreme church leaders and dignitaries depended on the king and the government, so the state still exerted a great deal of influence over the church organisation and structure.