The Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, called for the rule of physical distance from each other, imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, to be observed for this year’s Christmas holiday, in order to reduce the possibility of spreading the infection.
”And while we protect each other’s physical health in this way, we can and should be close to each other with our hearts and truly express the joy of Christmas and send sincere congratulations,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of preserving the essence of Christmas ‘and so we bear witness to our faith both in words and by example’. He wished that Christmas, especially in everyone, awakens a sincere love for life.
Let the children experience it, but not so much by the gifts but by feeling in their hearts that they are accepted and valued.
In his message for Christmas, Cardinal Puljić also emphasized the importance of forgiveness and modesty, recalling the popular proverb ‘that it is not the rich who have a lot, but the one who is satisfied with a little’. –
Christmas is not a ‘holiday’ but a holiday because God has given us all his treasure and not a celebration of emptiness but the manifested love of God – he emphasized in the message for Christmas.
