Vigilare

Vigilare is a Croatian conservative Catholic advocacy association whose public work centers on family policy, pro-life issues, religious freedom, education, cultural representation, and opposition to policies it considers inconsistent with traditional Christian values. The organization began as a virtual community and was subsequently registered as an association in Croatia, with 2011 generally identified as the year of its establishment. Its founder is Vice John Batarelo, who had already participated in Croatian public campaigns and debates on religious, family, and moral questions from 2008 onward. The association is best understood as a civil-society advocacy organization rather than a commercial consumer brand. It does not primarily sell products or operate a retail business. Instead, it uses petitions, open letters, public statements, legal actions, events, media appearances, and calls for boycotts to influence government policy, public institutions, broadcasters, schools, advertisers, retailers, and cultural organizations. Its agenda has included opposition to the introduction of aspects of health education in Croatian schools, support for legal protection of unborn life, resistance to the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, and opposition to the recognition of same-sex couples as foster or adoptive parents. Vigilare has participated in several high-profile Croatian conservative and Catholic initiatives. These include the “I Was an Embryo” campaign, activities surrounding the referendum on marriage, support for the ProLife.hr initiative, and the organization of TradFest, a Zagreb festival devoted to tradition and conservative ideas. In 2017, Vigilare and ProLife.hr submitted more than 168,000 signatures to the Croatian Parliament in support of a petition concerning legal protection for unborn life. The association also opposed educational and cultural materials presenting same-sex families, including the picture book “My Rainbow Family,” and criticized public campaigns and advertisements that it regarded as offensive, sexualized, anti-religious, or harmful to children. The organization has also been involved in litigation and legal controversies. In a case concerning remarks by former Croatian president Ivo Josipovic, the Supreme Court held that the statement that Croatia was a secular state rather than a Catholic “Jamahiriya” did not discriminate against Catholics. In another series of proceedings, Croatian courts considered Vigilare’s campaigns and publications concerning same-sex families and adoption. The Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that one Vigilare petition opposing what it called “homo-propaganda” on state television encouraged discrimination and harassment of LGBTIQ people and their families. In 2023, the Zagreb County Court found that Vigilare had discriminated against and harassed LGBTIQ persons and their families through the “Protect children from homo adoption” petition and related website publications. Vigilare’s public identity is therefore defined by values-based campaigning rather than by conventional commercial positioning. Supporters regard it as a voice for Catholic social teaching, parental authority, unborn life, and traditional family structures. Critics and court decisions have associated some of its rhetoric and campaigns with discrimination against sexual minorities. Its influence is exercised mainly through Croatian political and cultural debates, and available reference material does not establish a significant international operating structure, commercial revenue base, public listing, or corporate parent.

Vigilare emerged in Croatia as a virtual community before becoming a formally registered association. Its activities are generally dated from 2011, while its founder, Vice John Batarelo, had been involved in Croatian public actions on religious and family questions since at least 2008. The association developed around a conservative Catholic and pro-life outlook, with family policy serving as its principal area of concern. Early activity included participation in campaigns such as “I Was an Embryo,” advocacy connected with the referendum on marriage, and efforts to bring international conservative and religious speakers into Croatian public debate. Vigilare also became an opponent of the health education curriculum introduced in Croatian schools during the tenure of Education Minister Željko Jovanović. In 2013 it demanded the minister’s resignation, saying the curriculum had been adopted without sufficient public consultation. During the middle of the 2010s, Vigilare broadened its activity beyond formal legislation. It criticized commercial advertising, called for a boycott of Shooster, objected to the use of “Xmas” in public Christmas promotions, and challenged a Croatian Lottery campaign that it considered degrading to women. The latter complaint was rejected by the relevant Croatian advertising self-regulatory body. In 2016 the association organized TradFest in Zagreb, presenting a program focused on tradition and conservative ideas and involving religious and political figures. Pro-life campaigning became a major strand of Vigilare’s work. In 2017, together with the ProLife.hr initiative, it submitted 168,561 signatures to Parliament in support of legal protection for unborn life. That same period saw sustained opposition to Croatia’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention. Vigilare argued that the convention’s references to gender identity were unacceptable and sent policy material to government bodies. It also criticized cultural and educational representations involving same-sex families, including the proposed use of the picture book “My Rainbow Family” in schools and kindergartens, and called for the dismissal of Education Minister Blaženka Divjak over her support for the book’s inclusion. The association’s public interventions have included criticism of cultural advertising, retail products, public events, and municipal decisions. It objected to a Zagreb theatre marketing campaign, condemned the Zombie Walk as harmful to children, criticized Lidl for products it considered inappropriate for children, and protested Zagreb’s decision concerning the placement of flags before the March for Life. Vigilare also supported efforts in Parliament to place a proposed law on protection of life on the legislative agenda. Legal disputes have been an important part of its later history. Vigilare’s claim against former president Ivo Josipovic over remarks describing Croatia as a secular state was ultimately unsuccessful; the Supreme Court held that the remarks did not discriminate against Catholics. The association also opposed judicial and administrative developments allowing same-sex couples to foster or adopt children. In 2022, the Supreme Court characterized one Vigilare petition concerning state television and alleged “homo-propaganda” as encouraging discrimination and harassment of LGBTIQ people and their families. In 2023, the Zagreb County Court reached a similar adverse conclusion concerning the “Protect children from homo adoption” petition and related publications. These rulings have become central to public assessments of Vigilare, alongside its self-described role as a defender of Catholic, pro-life, and traditional-family positions.

• 2023

  Zagreb County Court discrimination ruling

  [1]Vigilareen.wikipedia.org

  The court found that Vigilare’s petition and publications concerning same-sex adoption discriminated against and harassed LGBTIQ persons and their families.

• 2022

  Supreme Court ruling on an LGBTIQ-related petition

  [1]Vigilareen.wikipedia.org

  The Supreme Court ruled that one Vigilare petition encouraged discrimination and harassment against LGBTIQ persons and their families.

• 2017

  Submission of the unborn-life petition

  [1]Vigilareen.wikipedia.org

  Vigilare and ProLife.hr submitted 168,561 signatures to Parliament in support of legal protection for unborn life.

• 2016

  First TradFest event

  [1]Vigilareen.wikipedia.org

  Vigilare organized a Zagreb festival presenting conservative ideas and traditions with religious and political participation.

• 2013

  Campaign against the health education curriculum

  [1]Vigilareen.wikipedia.org

  Vigilare called for Education Minister Željko Jovanović to resign over the introduction of health education without what it considered adequate public consultation.

• 2011

  Vigilare becomes a registered Croatian association

  [1]Vigilareen.wikipedia.org

  The organization, which had begun as a virtual community, was formally registered as an association in Croatia.

A Croatian conservative Catholic advocacy organization promoting pro-life views, traditional family structures, parental authority, and religiously informed positions in public policy, while opposing policies and cultural representations it considers contrary to those principles.

• 2023

  County court discrimination and harassment finding

  The Zagreb County Court found that Vigilare discriminated against and harassed LGBTIQ persons and their families through the “Protect children from homo adoption” petition and related online publications.

  Source

• 2022

  Supreme Court criticism of an LGBTIQ-related petition

  The Supreme Court ruled that Vigilare’s petition opposing alleged “homo-propaganda” on state television encouraged discrimination and harassment of LGBTIQ persons and their families.

  Source

Read more

• 2017Legal protection of unborn life petition

  Croatia

  Vigilare worked with ProLife.hr to collect signatures seeking parliamentary consideration of stronger legal protection for unborn life.

  Outcome. The petition was submitted to the Croatian Parliament with 168,561 signatures.

  Source
• 2017Opposition to the Istanbul Convention

  Croatia

  The association urged the government and Parliament not to ratify the Council of Europe convention, objecting to its treatment of gender identity.

  Outcome. Vigilare continued its public opposition and submitted a legal opinion to a Croatian ministry.

  Source
• 2016Take It Off advertising complaint

  Croatia

  The association asked the Croatian Lottery to withdraw an advertisement and apologize to women, alleging that the campaign was insulting and humiliating.

  Outcome. The Croatian advertising-industry Court of Honor found no objectionable gender discrimination in the advertisement.

  Source
• 2014Christmas without a discount

  Croatia

  Vigilare criticized the use of the English abbreviation “Xmas” in public Christmas promotions, arguing that it weakened the visibility of Christian symbolism.

  Source

• 2020

  Response to the Constitutional Court’s same-sex adoption decisionStrategy

  Background

  The Croatian Constitutional Court allowed same-sex couples to adopt children.

  Action taken

  Vigilare publicly declared the decision unlawful and continued its opposition to same-sex adoption and fostering.

  Source

• 2019

  Appeal of the Josipovic discrimination caseOther

  Background

  Vigilare challenged former president Ivo Josipovic’s statement that Croatia was a secular state rather than a Catholic “Jamahiriya.”

  Action taken

  Vigilare pursued legal proceedings alleging discrimination against Catholics.

  Aftermath

  The Supreme Court ruled that the statement did not discriminate against members of the Catholic faith.

  Source

1. 1Vigilareen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Vigilare official websitevigilare.hr