Tomislav Ivančić (30 September 1938 – 17 February 2017) was a

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

n theologian and academic.

Biography

Ivančić was born in Davor. After the study of

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

and

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

he was ordained priest of the Zagreb Archdiocese in 1966. After achieving a doctorate at the Papal

Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school (pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

in Rome, he returned to Zagreb to become professor at the Catholic-Theological Faculty of the

University of Zagreb The University of Zagreb ( hr, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, ; la, Universitas Studiorum Zagrabiensis) is the largest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of ...

. He was head of the Chair of Fundamental Theology, one of the editors of the magazine “

Bogoslovska smotra ''Bogoslovska smotra'' (Theologian's Review) is a Croatian interdisciplinary quinquennial scientific journal and among the oldest, still-publishing theology journals in the world, since 1910. The periodical is referenced in WOS, ESCI, SCOPUS, EBS ...

” (Theogian's Review), member of the editorial boards and associate of many Croatian and foreign theology magazines and member of the Croatian Literary Translators’ Association. Since 1983 he was canon of Zagreb's Cathedral Chapter. The areas of his scientific work are philosophy, theology and literature. The area of his special interest is the research of men's existential-spiritual dimension, in which he was discovering new possibilities and ways of modern evangelisation and the need of developing spiritual medicine, which - next to somatic and psychiatric medicine - is indispensable in the holistic healing of man, and especially in healing spiritual illnesses and addictions. For this purpose he developed the method of hagiotherapy and founded the Centre for Spiritual Help in 1990 in Zagreb, which he was the head of. Apart from working at the Faculty, since 1971 Tomislav was also a religious teacher for students in Zagreb, the initiator of the prayer movement in the Church in Croatia, founder of the religious community “Prayer and Word” (Zajednica “Molitva i Riječ”) and the “Centre for a Better World”, as well as lecturer at numerous seminars for the spiritual renewal in Croatia and abroad. In the last decade he has been training persons to work in centres for spiritual help and hold seminars for the apostolate of evangelisation in Croatia and abroad. His scientific and expert articles are published in Croatian and foreign magazines. He wrote more than 50 books, of which almost the half was translated into foreign languages, whereas some have been published only in foreign languages. His book “Follow Me” (Pođi za mnom) was translated in 12 languages. He was editor-in-chief of the magazine “Steps” (Koraci), and then “New Steps” (Novi koraci), as well as founder of the magazine “Hagiotherapy” (Hagioterapija). From 1998 until 2001 he was dean of the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Zagreb. In September 2001 he was elected rector of the University of Zagreb, but he resigned in December 2001, due to illness. On 9 February 2004

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

designated him member of the

International Theological Commission The International Theological Commission (ITC) is a body of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church; it advises the magisterium of the church, particularly the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), a dicastery of the Roman Curia. Its mem ...

, presided over by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, after Pope Benedict XVI. Ivančić is author and host of a very popular radio program “Lord, teach us to pray” which is broadcast during the academic year. He died in

on 17 February 2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ivancic, Tomislav 1938 births 2017 deaths Croatian theologians Croatian writers International Theological Commission 20th-century Croatian Roman Catholic priests 21st-century Croatian Roman Catholic priests