A silent mass will be held for the 33rd time in Zagreb, on Saturday, at 8:30 a.m., at Ban Jelačić Square. This collective intervention in public space by artist Arijana Lekić-Fridrih is dedicated to the seventh and eighth victims 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. Archbishop Mate Uzinić of Rijeka recently warned of the dangers of the “men’s rosary” initiative at a mass on the occasion of the feast of Saint Marina in Mošćenička Draga, noting that it often advocates a return to traditional gender roles where women belong “around the table” and men “behind the table”. Such attitudes threaten hard-won women’s rights and the plurality of society, encouraging (non)resistance from the public that (does) not recognize their harmfulness, he added.
And 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 seven months of 2025 alone, eight women were murdered – eight victims of femicide. This 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.
We invite all citizens to join the 33rd 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.
