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Part 1: Croatia - The monk island

January 17, 2013

Franciscan monks are the only inhabitants of the tiny Croatian island of Kosljun. They no longer see saving souls as their main task - instead they tend to their monastery and its gardens.

https://p.dw.com/p/17LdH
Blick auf die Insel Kosljun bei Krk, in Kroatien. Herkunft: DW Eigendreh
Image: DW

St. Bernard of Siena wanted to renew the church in Europe in the spirit of Francis of Assisi and he relocated monks from city centers to the outskirts. The move was meant to strengthen the souls of the monks, who would then spread the values they had acquired in the peace of the monastery. But these days the Franciscan monks of Kosljun have abandoned their missionary zeal.

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Franciscan monks are the only inhabitants of the tiny Croatian island of Kosljun. They no longer see saving souls as their main task - instead they tend to their monastery and its gardens.
PoliticsJanuary 16, 201305:46 min