At the 20th annual meeting of the priests of the Archbishopric of Vrhbosna held in Sarajevo under the chairmanship of the Archbishop of Vrhbosna Cardinal Puljic and with participation of 127 priests, the Statement on current ecclesial and social situation in B&H was considered, and it was concluded that the number of Catholics is smaller than it was 100 years ago.
As it was stated from the Public Relations Office of the Bishop Conference, after the presented text a discussion emerged and different proposals were given. Big majority of priests voted for the Statement, with an addition to insert presented suggestions.
It was stated in the Statement that more and more people leave B&H; that, unfortunately, the process of return of refugees (envisaged in the Annex 7 of the Dayton Peace Agreement) is mostly completed, with an emphasis that adequate conditions have actually never been created for it at the territory of the RS and in certain parts of the FB&H; how, due to different political interests and the unfortunate war, many Croats do not feel this country as theirs; how, when it is being spoken about the Croatianhood in B&H, the fact that Catholics, mostly Croats, live at the entire territory of B&H is being often neglected; how there exists no national strategy for the survival of Croats and Catholics in the entire territory of B&H.
Moreover, it is stated how the Catholic Church has suffered terrible calamities during the war between 1992 and 1995, but that it remained faithful to its mission living alongside with the Catholic people; how during the entire war the Archbishop of Vrhbosna Cardinal Vinko Puljic with his closest associates stayed in Sarajevo, which was the headquarters of church and state authority in B&H, and other bishops as well stayed in their headquarters; how the priests often were the pioneers of return to the war-torn areas; how the Catholic Church in B&H is the promoter of ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue, and how the Catholic Church in B&H is still a spiritually strong community which does not lack in spiritual vocations nor pastoral projects.
(Source: klix.ba)
