On Thursday, 2 April, a lecture entitled “Spirituality at the Click of a Button: How Young People Become Targets of Cults” was held at the Patriarch Pavle Gymnasium as part of the School of Parenting project, organized jointly by the Missionary Department of the Archdiocese of Belgrade–Karlovci and the Board for Religious Education of the Archdiocese.
Members of the Missionary Department were warmly welcomed and received with exceptional hospitality, which contributed to a pleasant and encouraging atmosphere throughout the event. The lecture was attended by parents, students, and teachers alike, reflecting the considerable interest in this important and highly relevant topic.
The contemporary challenges of the digital environment were addressed by Zoran Luković, Coordinator of the Section for Apologetic Mission within the Missionary Department, who highlighted the latest forms and methods of cultic and manipulative activity, particularly those employed in the digital sphere. Drawing upon examples from his own professional experience, Luković directly drew attention to potentially harmful content and to the mechanisms through which young people may become targets of various forms of manipulation.
A particularly strong impression on those present was made by the presentation of psychologist Slobodan Spasić, a permanent professional associate of the Section for Apologetic Mission, who illuminated the internal dynamics of cultic influence in a manner that was both highly accessible and professionally grounded. Through numerous examples drawn from psychological practice, as well as carefully selected video material, he clearly demonstrated how trust is gradually established, emotional manipulation is exercised, and dependency is cultivated among young people. His presentation emphasized that involvement in a cult is not the result of personal “weakness,” but is often the outcome of subtle and systematic psychological mechanisms that exploit fundamental human needs for meaning, belonging, and understanding.
Following the lecture, the Headmaster of the Gymnasium, Mr Jasmin Nikolovski, together with Religious Education teacher Deacon Vuk Erceg, organized a tour of the school. On this occasion, the lecturers were introduced to the school’s facilities, including classrooms, specialist teaching rooms, and a beautifully arranged central hall featuring displays related to extracurricular activities. The interior of this distinguished educational institution has been designed in a manner that fosters the preservation of the traditional, cultural, and historical values of the Serbian people. A particularly memorable impression was left by the permanent exhibition “One Hundred Distinguished Serbs,” which could serve as an inspiring model for other educational institutions.
The lecture at the Patriarch Pavle Gymnasium once again demonstrated the importance of addressing these issues openly, responsibly, and professionally, especially at a time when the digital environment has become one of the principal arenas for various forms of manipulation. The Missionary Department will continue to organize similar activities in the future with the aim of providing young people and their parents with reliable guidance, fostering critical discernment, and assisting them in recognizing spiritually harmful influences, while bearing witness to the truth and pointing towars a healthy and responsible spiritual life.
Zoran Luković
Coordinator of the Section for Apologetic Mission
Missionary Department of the Archdiocese of Belgrade–Karlovci
Photo: Missionary Department of the AEM
