Fr. Franjo Glasnović on Concerts
The parish priest of Vodice published a lengthy reflection on his Facebook profile, touching on performances by Jelena Karleuša, Thompson, and Oliver Dragojević.
The parish priest of Vodice published a lengthy reflection on his Facebook profile, touching on performances by Jelena Karleuša, Thompson, and Oliver Dragojević.
The parish priest of Vodice, Fr. Franjo Glasnović, published an extensive reflection on his Facebook profile on August 9, 2026, focusing on current music events, particularly the announced concert of Jelena Karleuša in Vodice. Also reflecting on Thompson's concert in Šibenik and the legacy of Oliver Dragojević, Fr. Franjo spoke about the limits of commercialization and the importance of preserving one's integrity.
The central part of his message concerns the example of the late singer Oliver Dragojević. Fr. Franjo recalls Oliver's personal decision not to perform in Serbia, emphasizing that the singer was willing to lose something because of his stance. "He could have gone. He could have sung a concert. He could have taken the fee. He could have said that music is just music and that the past should be left behind. But he didn't," the priest wrote.
From that decision, he draws a key distinction between attitude and integrity: "We all have attitudes. We have integrity only when we are willing to pay a price to preserve it." This is where he sees Oliver's greatest lesson for the young-the ability to say "I can't," not because one is not allowed, but because one refuses to trample on one's own character.
Speaking about Thompson's concert in Šibenik, Fr. Franjo emphasizes that music in Croatia often carries the weight of identity and emotions. "For some, Thompson is a song, an emotion, an identity, a memory, and part of their own life story. For others, he isn't. Both must be possible," he said. He stressed that a person is neither better nor worse because of the music they listen to, and that it is important to maintain decency and dignity even when we disagree.
In the case of Jelena Karleuša, the priest believes it is no longer just about musical taste. He reminded of her series of statements about Croatia. In 2016, she associated Croatia with "occupiers and fascists." Two years later, she fiercely criticized the welcome for Croatian footballers and their association with Thompson. After Thompson's concert in Zagreb in 2025, she again commented on the event, linking it to Nazism, Operation Storm, and the expulsion of Serbs.
Fr. Franjo does not dispute her right to perform, but he emphasizes: "The freedom to perform does not mean that people must forget what the artist has publicly said." He says that freedom also implies the right of citizens to their own opinion about those statements, including boycotting the concert.
In the final part of his post, the priest turns to the question of values passed on to the young. He warns of a world where everything is measured by numbers-views, likes, and money. "Popularity is not the same as greatness. Someone can be famous without being a worthy role model," he points out. Instead, he advocates instilling gratitude toward veterans and all those who built the homeland.
"This man did not live only for himself," wrote Fr. Franjo, referring to those whose names are on monuments. The goal, he says, is not to produce hatred, but gratitude for the freedom that someone paid for. He concluded his reflection with a biblical thought and a question about the soul: "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" and the message that the greatest danger is not listening to the 'wrong' song, but growing up without the ability to recognize true values.
"Every product has its buyer. But not everything is for sale," wrote Fr. Franjo Glasnović on Facebook.
