A silent mass will be held for the 32nd time in Rijeka, on Saturday, at 8:30 a.m., in front of the Cathedral of St. Vitus. This collective intervention in public space by artist Arijana Lekić-Fridrih is dedicated to the sixth victim of femicide in Croatia this year. The silent mass is being held in response to regular gatherings of men who, under the guise of praying the rosary, promote messages that deny women equality and violate their constitutionally guaranteed rights. While there is a symbolic call for submission and a “return to order,” in reality the number of murdered women is increasing.
In the first six months of 2025 alone, six women were murdered – six victims of femicide. That number is not accidental, nor is it inevitable. It is The consequence : years of ignoring professional warnings, non-implementation of laws, lack of political will and ineffective institutions.
Given the current social situation, it is our responsibility as citizens to warn the public through actions such as the Silent Mass, demand stronger violence prevention measures, and clearly highlight the need for systemic changes that will provide women with safety and equality in all aspects of life. Finally, it is up to us as responsible citizens to warn for the 32nd time about a public, organized, and paid campaign that calls for the inequality that is guaranteed to us by the Constitution – regardless of whether it takes place in the form of a ‘prayer’ of the rosary.
We invite all citizens to join the 32nd Silent Mass and initiatives in their cities and towns and join forces to show support for the victims and solidarity in the fight for a society without violence against women, which has been called upon for two and a half years by so-called supplicants in city squares every first Saturday of the month.
