Ivan Grubišić
Rev. Ivan Grubišić was born on 20 June 1936 in Sušci-Dicmo and is a Croatian citizen. He is a retired Roman Catholic priest and sociologist, and an independent representative in the Croatian Parliament (Hrvatski sabor).
Political Career
From the very start of his political involvement, the leadership of the Catholic Church in Croatia warned Grubišić against candidacy in parliamentary elections, and against active engagement in politics. Ivan Grubišić led an independent list in the 2011 Croatian parliamentary election. In the 10th electoral unit in Dalmatia, they won 11.7% of the vote and two seats in Sabor. In January 2012, the Archbishop of Split-Makarska Marin Barišić suspended Grubišić because of his founding of a political party, and the acceptance of the parliamentary term. His suspension covered exercise of confession, preaching and celebrating the Holy Mass, as well as the ban on wearing the priestly garments. Grubišić actively advocates revision, even termination of the treaty between the Republic of Croatia and the Holy See, which would reduce the amount of taxpayer money annually given by the Croatian government to Catholic Church. He also opposes the teaching of religious education in public schools. His term of office in the Croatian Parliament began on 22 December 2011. He is a chairperson of the Deputy Club of the independent MPs.
Education
Grubišić graduated from the Faculty of Theology in Zagreb and the Faculty of Philosophy in Zadar. He obtained his degree as a Doctor of Philosophy in Social, Humanistic and Theological Sciences from theUniversity of Zagreb.
Special Achievements
Grubišić taught at the Catechetical Institute at the Catholic Theological Faculty in Zagreb, the Theological-Catechetical Institute in Split and the Croatian Studies college. Although retired, as of 2013 he teaches at the Maritime Faculty of Philosophy in Split.
He is the initiator and one of the founders of the Croatian academic association Split - Čovjek Nadasve. He is the founder and the leader of the public lecture series Suvremeno društvo i duhovnost (Contemporary Society and Spirituality) and Znanost i društvo (Science and Society). He is the author of twelve books and edited four conference proceedings. He is the founder and managing editor of the journal Dijalog (Dialogue).
Grubišić was awarded the National Award for the Promotion and Popularisation of Science, Annual Award of the City of Split, Award Velimir Terzić for the promotion of democracy in Croatia, as well as the Slobodna Dalmacija Award for Lifetime Achievement. President Stipe Mesić awarded him the Order of Danica Hrvatska, for special merits in culture, in 2007.
