Statement - Appeal by the bishops of Bosnia-Herzegovina to the priests, the faithful, the local and international public

FOR THE CONSISTENT IMPLEMENTATION OF AGREEMENTS REACHED

1. The Washington Agreement of 18 March 1994 on the political solution to the crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina according to which a federation between the Muslims and Croats was established in order to bring about the cessation of the war activities in the regions controlled by the Croats and Muslims also enabled a more regular delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid to the imperilled population.

We express our support for any agreement which leads towards a just and lasting peace in the regions of the entire internationally recognised state of Bosnia-Herzegovina. We call upon all the leaders in political authority to wisely search for, reasonably accept, decisively and consistently implement the agreed accord to the benefit of all the people who live in these regions.

We once again call upon the Catholic faithful to humble and lasting prayer, so that by the mercy of God they be given sufficient light to find and implement the best possible solution for the establishment of a just peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

2. Unfortunately the said accord for now divides our Metropoly into two regions, one under the supervision of the Croats and Muslims while the other is under the control of the Bosnian Serbs. Painfully we assert that tens of thousands of Muslims and Croats have fled or been expelled from these regions controlled by the Serbs, while those who despite all the hardships do not wish to leave their hearths and have remained behind are faced with serious discrimination and the threat of ethnic cleansing. This brings into question the further existence of more than 40 per cent of the faithful of the Vrhbosna Archdiocese, virtually 80 per cent of the Banja Luka Diocese and about half of the Mostar-Duvno and Trebinje Dioceses, which we, as the bishops of these dioceses, and the Catholic Church as a whole, cannot accept.

3. We once again raise our most decisive pastoral voices in defence of the fundamental human and civil rights and liberties - not only for the Catholic faithful but for all those who have been stripped of their rights in the regions of our Metropoly. We especially regret that manifold discrimination against the non-Serb population is continuing in a large area of the Banja Luka Diocese and demand that this be stopped immediately! We ask the current authorities there to decisively and effectively undertake measures to stop all forms of discrimination and injustice towards the Catholic population. We also expect the representatives of the Croatian people in Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as in the Republic of Croatia to undertake even more to have these rights reinstated.

4. In those regions of Bosnia-Herzegovina where it is possible for displaced persons to return, we ask the appropriate authorities:

- to ensure their free return home;
- to decisively secure the delivery and just distribution of humanitarian aid to the most imperilled sections of the population;
- to start with reconstruction and in so doing to create conditions for employment thereby enabling people to support their families;
- that all influential factors (civil authorities, public media, religious leaders and cultural attaches) be more decisive in creating a more favourable climate in which it will be possible to successfully heal the deep physical and psychological war wounds.

We know that many Catholics who have been expelled or have fled from those regions controlled by the Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina wish to peacefully return to their hearths. We ask the Serb authorities and the international community to enable this as soon as possible.

5. Once again we thank all our priests and nuns who have often with heroic effort, under direct threat to their own lives, remained with the faithful entrusted to them, feeding them both with real and spiritual food, protecting them, motivating them, raising them from this sin filled and poisoned desert created by this horrific war. We call upon them to lean upon the strength of the Holy Spirit and to last in faith in Christ and his Church there where they are most needed.

6. We thank members of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference and other Bishops’ Conferences around the world for their love and solidarity with which they have kept an eye on our suffering and have tirelessly motivated people and themselves gathered and sent humanitarian aid, as well as all their efforts for the support of a just peace in our suffering homeland. We pray that they do not forget us in the future.

7. We recommend all our priests, nuns and all the clergy as well as God’s people entrusted to their pastoral care and all people of good will and our friends and benefactors to accept the Love of God and protection of the most Holy Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Church and the Queen of Peace.

Bol on the Island of Brac, 6 May 1994.

Msg. VINKO PULJIC, Archbishop of Vrhbosna & Metropolitan
Msg. FRANJO KOMARICA, Bishop of Banja Luka
Msg. RATKO PERIC, Bishop of Mostar-Duvno and Administrator of Trebinje-Mrkanj.
Msg. PERO SUDAR, Assistant Bishop of Vrhbosna