believers in disguise, kosovo's hidden catholics
In 2019, 40,000 Kosovars claim to be Catholics. The Islamisation of Kosovo took place following the Ottoman conquest at the end of the 14th century. Until then, Kosovo was Christian territory. Today the Catholic community is fervent, united and fully accepted in the country. April 20th, 2019 - Pristina (Kosovo)
Once in the majority, Catholics now represent just 2% of the population of Kosovo. Around 40,000 people claim to be Roman Catholic in this small country, which celebrated 10 years of independence in February 2018. However, there are probably more people who - discreetly - claim to be Catholics, in particular because of the crypto-Catholics who, far from any hierarchy, have been living their faith out of sight for more than 20 generations.
Catholics make up the third largest religious community after Sunni Muslims and Serbian Orthodox, who number around 150,000. Grouped mainly in 6 regions of the country, the Catholic community is recognised for its dynamism. Unlike the Orthodox, Kosovar Catholics are Albanian, and represented the majority of the population before the forced conversions to Islam. April 20th, 2019 - Pristina (Kosovo)
Following the Ottoman conquest, many families in Kosovo continued to practise their faith discreetly, while the citizens of the empire were forced to convert to Islam. And to this day, their neighbours, and sometimes even their in-laws, are convinced that they belong to the Muslim faith, even though at home they follow the precepts of Jesus.
Many religious festivals are well attended, and are even regularly broadcast on national television. Here, Easter celebrations bring thousands of worshippers together in the cathedral of Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, in front of the cameras and journalists who have come, as they do every year, to witness the multicultural nature of the country. April 20th, 2019 - Pristina (Kosovo)
Although not baptised, crypto-Catholics do not belong to the community of Christians as far as the Church is concerned. While some priests regard them as brothers in religion, others, more intransigent, do not understand their attitude, assuming that in 2018 there is no longer any objective reason to hide like this. Many crypto-Catholics return to their religion, while others, proud of their identity, do not wish to take the step of baptism, even if they attend services without taking communion.
The majority of Catholics live their faith in the open, the crypto-Catholics or Laramans prefer to remain in the background. Some attend services discreetly, while others refuse all contact with the official church hierarchy. In a way, the Laramans have invented their own religion, with their own rituals. There are no institutions; spirituality takes precedence over everything else. This is one reason why many still have no desire to return to the official Church. April 20th, 2019 - Pristina (Kosovo)
The number of crypto-Catholics remains largely unknown today in Kosovo. As they are discreet by nature, it is difficult to evaluate their importance. In fact, the majority of Kosovars do not even know that they exist and- believe that this phenomenon disappeared centuries ago and think that the phenomenon disappeared centuries ago. January 4th, 2018 - Pristina (Kosovo)
One of the characteristics of Laramans is to act in public in the public space as Muslims, reserving the demonstration of their faith their faith to those closest to them. Traditionally, Laramans have long married married within their community. April 26th, 2019 - Pristina (Kosovo)
Often from small communities, admitting their true to their neighbours and colleagues would mean social death. This This fear of being ostracized is omnipresent with the people we meet. So they play the role expected of them, and blend in as best they can with the Muslim community. Muslim community. April 26th, 2019 - Pristina (Kosovo)
The Jakupi family lives in a small village lost in the hills, an hour from the large market town of Stubëll e Epërme. They are farmers, with a few chickens and a dozen cows, from which they make milk and make cheese. Their village has just one primary school. The majority of the inhabitants are crypto-Catholics, yet no one brings up the subject. The Jakupi rarely go to church. They prefer to pray together, at home. Everything is done to keep their secret well guarded. April 26th, 2019 - Stubëll e Epërme region (Kosovo)
Arlind, aged 12, plays in front of his parents' house. Nothing distinguishes them from any other Kosovar farming family, yet they practise their faith discreetly, a faith forgotten by many. The Laramans learn from an early age not to make any mistakes when interacting with their Muslim neighbours and friends. April 26th, 2019 - Stubëll e Epërme region (Kosovo)
Bejte (left) is the mother of the family, aged 58. The Jakupi family, out of fear of social death and the rumours. They don't want to be recognisable in the photos. Our arrival in their village had to be discreet. There are no visible or even hidden religious symbols in her home. April 26th, 2019 - Stubëll e Epërme region (Kosovo)
Like any young person of his age, Arlind is a fan of Dragon City - a game that is very popular on social networks - which he plays on his tablet. He also enjoys playing football with his friends. Since he was very young, he has known that he must not talk about his family's beliefs. April 26th, 2019 - Stubëll e Epërme region (Kosovo)
For Selim Jakupi, openly declaring his Catholic faith would be synonymous with social death in his village. Even if, deep down, he thinks that his neighbours suspect something. Selim is 49 years old and has lived in this village all his life. He and his wife have had 4 boys and 3 girls. Some of his children have married Muslims who know nothing of their in-laws' beliefs. The secret that has been so well kept for centuries continues to this day. April 26th, 2019 - Stubëll e Epërme region (Kosovo)
Qëndrim is 27 years old. He loves sculpting small wooden animals as gifts for his friends and family. With no education, he helps his family on the farm. His faith seems to condemn him to a He is afraid to go to mass, even though the region he lives in has one of the largest one of the largest Catholic communities in the country. April 26th, 2019 - Stubëll e Epërme region (Kosovo)
Granit, has opened a museum of Catholicism in Kosovo where he tells the story of the Laramans, who even among Catholics arouse distrust and above all incomprehension. One of the main criticisms levelled at the Laramans by Catholics is the lack of persecution of their community. Many find it hard to understand this cult of secrecy. April 28th, 2019 - Stubëll e Epërme (Kosovo)
In the past, crypto-Catholics used this symbol carved into the stone of their homes to indicate a friendly house.Crosses could also be hidden along a path or at a bend in the road. You had to be discreet not to betray your affiliation. People were taught about Catholic rituals by their parents who told not to talk about it, so as not to get into trouble. April 28th, 2019 - Stubëll e Epërme (Kosovo)
In the centre is the steeple of Mother Teresa's Cathedral, one of the largest in the Balkans and one of the highlights of the Kosovo capital. Located right in the centre of Pristina, it was inaugurated in 2010 to great fanfare. It is the most visible sign of recognition of the Catholic community in Kosovo. In the foreground on the left is the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, unfinished because of the war. To the right, the telecommunications tower headquarters of Kosovo television and radio. April 22nd, 2019 - Pristina (Kosovo)
In front of the seat of government, a Christmas tree reminds us that Kosovo, although mostly Muslim, is sensitive to Catholic festivals, which are part of local folklore. On the left, the statue of Skënderbeu, a 15th-century Albanian lord, considered to be the Albanian national hero for his resistance to the Ottoman Empire. January 1st, 2018 - Pristina (Kosovo)
Every year, during the traditional Easter Mass, catechumen baptisms take place, symbolising the dynamism of the Catholic community. Many Laramans take advantage of this Easter tradition to return to the Catholic religion officially. In previous years, Laraman baptisms have even been broadcast live. April 20th, 2019 - Pristina (Kosovo)
Catholic leaders are invited to many official ceremonies in the same way as their Muslim and Jewish counterparts, although the latter community has shrunk considerably in recent years. April 21st, 2019 - Pristina (Kosovo)
Built in 2008, St Abraham's Church in Llapushnik has become a symbol of renewal. For centuries, the inhabitants of Llapushnik were crypto-Catholics. April 21st, 2019 - Llapushnik (Kosovo)
Many of the former laramans have finally decided to return to traditional Catholicism. Some forty inhabitants of the have since converted. Some still prefer to keep a low profile. April 21st, 2019 - Llapushnik (Kosovo)
Ismet Sopi (foreground) is a former crypto-catholic who chose baptism. He was behind the construction of the church of Saint Abraham and initiated a movement of conversions in his region. Here he welcomes the faithful to Easter mass. Very proud of his religion, Ismet Sopi has invited his Muslim friends to Mass, and they came into a church for the first time in their lives. for the first time in their lives. They took photos of themselves as a souvenir. April 21st, 2019 - Llapushnik (Kosovo)
Crypto-Catholics cultivate discretion, and while they do go to services, they often leave among the first and do not mix too much with the other openly Catholic faithful, preferring to leave discreetly once the service is over. Once the service is over. Not baptised, the Laramans are not considered Catholic by some. April 21st, 2019 - Llapushnik (Kosovo)
Marc is a crypto-Catholic who has taken the step of going to the church. He is married to Fatima, who shares his faith and comes from a Muslim family, but used to be Catholic. Full of enthusiasm, he regularly attends Mass. His whole family is very religious. December 31st, 2017 - Gillian (Kosovo)
Laura is one of Marc's daughters. A student in Pristina, she has decided to take a break from her studies. She returns regularly to her home in Gjilan to attend important services with her family. Her friends don't know that she's not a Muslim, but she still has a few reflexes from her old life. December 31st, 2017 - Gillian (Kosovo)
Marc now goes to communion, and so participates fully in Catholic rituals. Until a few years ago, he would stay at the back of the church. That means a lot to him. While many Catholics see the Laramans as brothers in religion, many do not understand their attitude, especially the fact that they are not baptised. December 31st, 2017 - Gillian (Kosovo)
Although Marc's official name is Tahir, he prefers his Catholic name, that correspond more to his identity. But everyone calls him Tahir outside the private circle and the Catholic community. He is a municipal civil servant, and few people outside his close circle are aware of his faith and his background. December 31st, 2017 - Gillian (Kosovo)
Laura (centre), who was a student, and her sister, a secondary school pupil, with their mother (left) spend Sunday afternoons at the family home. Even though they are very pious, they keep their old crypto-Catholic habits and there are, for example, no explicitly religious objects that might betray their their beliefs. December 31st, 2017 - Gillian (Kosovo)
Although they have taken the step of joining the church, Marc and his family didn't make their religious beliefs completely public, so there are very few religious objects are rare. This little angel in its bubble is an subtle Christian symbol. December 31st, 2017 - Gillian (Kosovo)
Fatima keeps her rosary and bible hidden in a cupboard. Relations with the rest of her family, who remain Muslim, are complicated, and her mother refuses to discuss religion in her presence. December 31st, 2017 - Gillian (Kosovo)
Each crypto-Catholic family is protected by its own patron saint. Celebrations linked to this saint are organised in the privacy of the home, sometimes with a few other families. St Nicholas has been the saint of Marc and Fatima's family for several generations. December 31st, 2017 - Gillian (Kosovo)
Although it may take some time for attitudes to change, more and more Laramans are going to church, attending services and reconnect with Catholics, their community of origin. April 28th, 2019 - Stubëll e Epërme (Kosovo)
Today in Kosovo, there is nothing to prevent anyone from declaring themselves a Catholic and practising their religion fervently in complete safety. Many Kosovo immigrants to Switzerland are Catholics, for example, and their opulent villages contrast with others that benefit only from remittances from abroad. April 28th, 2019 - Stubëll e Epërme (Kosovo)
In the Kosovo countryside, there are many villages where crypto-Catholics are in the majority, but nobody talks about it. And while today more and more Laramans are returning to the religion of their ancestors, for many taking the plunge means breaking with old family traditions. The Laramans cultivate secrecy right up to the point of death. according to Muslim rites, with their relatives hiding small crosses in their shrouds. April 28th, 2019 - Pozhoran (Kosovo)