Komunistički je režim agrarnom reformom, provedenom od 1945. do 1948. godine, oduzeo Zagrebačkoj nadbiskupiji i njenim župama oko 82% obradivog zemljišta. Time je Zagrebačka nadbiskupija, kao i ostale biskupije u Jugoslaviji, došla u vrlo težak materijalni položaj. No, tu nije bio kraj. Naime, nakon svršene agrarne reforme, država je na ono malo zemljišta koje je ostalo crkvi, nametnula takve poreze i druga davanja, da ih mnoge župe nisu mogle podmiriti. U takvim prilikama župe su tražile odobrenje Nadbiskupskoga duhovnog stola u Zagrebu za otuđenje većega dijela zemljišta u korist seljaka ili poljoprivrednih zadruga, s ciljem da isti preuzmu plaćanje obveza prema državi. S obzirom na to da Nadbiskupski duhovni stol, po crkvenim zakonima, to nije mogao odobriti, tražio je odobrenje od Svete Stolice. Sveta Stolica je, shvativši prilike u kojima se nalazi Crkva u Jugoslaviji, odobrila crkvenim vlastima u Jugoslaviji da daju odobrenja za otuđenje nadarbinskoga zemljišta.

Župnici i upravitelji župa masovno su tražili odobrenja od svojih crkvenih vlasti za otuđenja većega dijela nadarbinskoga zemljišta. Najveći dio zemljišta davan je preko kotarskih narodnih odbora (KNO) seljačkim radnim zadrugama na korištenje, a ponekad i u trajno vlasništvo. Jedan dio zemljišta župnici su uspjeli i dati u zakup ili prodati. Za prodaju zemljišta nije uvijek bio razlog visina poreza, nego i nedostatak novca za popravak župnih dvorova i crkvi, stradalih u ratu.

Kada su 1950-tih godina nastali povoljniji porezni uvjeti i kada su prestajale postojati seljačke radne zadruge, župe su zahtijevale povrat otuđenoga zemljišta. Međutim, kotarski narodni odbori odbijali su zemljište vratiti, te su ga gruntovno prenosili u svoje vlasništvo, tvrdeći da im je isto darovano u trajno vlasništvo. Župe su to osporavale u sudskim parnicama, tvrdeći da nisu imale potrebito odobrenje od crkvenih vlasti za davanje zemljišta u trajno vlasništvo, nego samo na korištenje. Te sudske sporove župe su uglavnom gubile, osim u onim slučajevima gdje je u ugovoru bilo izričito navedeno da se zemljište daje na privremeno korištenje.

Tako je Katolička crkva pod pritiskom od države nametnutih prilika ostala bez još jednog dijela svoje imovine i došla u još teži materijalni položaj, što je državi i bio cilj, nadajući se da će je tako oslabiti i u njenom duhovnom djelovanju.

Summary: Forfited archdiocesan property as taxation dues in the period from 1948 till 1955.

The communist regime confiscated about 82% of cultivable land previously owned by the Zagreb Archdiocese and its parishes in the period from 1945 till 1948. As such the Zagreb Archdiocese like other Dioceses in Yugoslavia resulted in the very difficult financial position. Nevertheless, this was not the end. After the agrarian reform was carried out, the State imposed unbearable land taxation that was left into ownership of parishes. In such circumastances the parishes seeked the Archdiocesan Chancellery Office for asssistance to approve that the land be temporarily granted to the people who themselves would pay these txes. Since the Archdiocesan Office did not have the authority to do this, it had to consult the Holy See. The Holy See, understanding the circumstances in Yugoslavia, approved the decision.

Priests and curates asked permission from the Church authorities to forfit the majority of the donated land to farmers. Most of the land was granted via the the Distric People’s Commitees which granted the land to cooperative farmers to cultivating and sometime the land became their porperty. Priests managed to lease or sell part of the land. The reason to sell was not only due to the increased tax, but also the lack of money needed to repair and to build presbyteries and churches damaged and destoyed during the war.

When in 1950’s more convenient land taxes were introduced and the cooperative farmers ceased to exist, the parishes demanded that the land be returned. However, the District People’s Committees denied the Church’s demands and registered this land as their property claiming that it had been permanently granted to them and refused to give tha land back to its owners, the Church. The land registrations, claiming the land on the statements that it was given to them into ownership and not only on beneficiary user basis.

The parishes filed legal proceedings claiming that they did not have the authority to grant the Church land on a permanent basis but only temporarily. The parishes usually lost these legal disputes, except for the cases where the contract explicitly stated that the land was given to people on temporary basis.

This is how through preassure by the State and imposed circumstances that the Church lost another part of its property and was put into an even more difficult material position which after all was the aim of the state with the intention of weakening the Church and its spiritual care. Translated by Ivana Tonžetić, s. Anđelita Šokić.

(Objavljeno u godišnjaku „Tkalčić“, 9./2005., br. 9)