During the meeting, they strongly advocated for the construction of a stable and prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina within the European family, HDZ BiH announced.
The delegation of HDZ BiH officials, led by the chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BiH Borjana Krišto and the vice-chairman of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH Dragan Čović, the representative in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH Darijana Filipović and the deputy minister of foreign affairs Josip Brkić, expressed their gratitude to the Holy See for their persistent support to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and especially to the Catholic Croatian people.
“I conveyed to the Holy Father our thought that deeply reflects the reality and the inseparable connection between the Croatian people and the Catholic Church: ‘If there are no Croats in BiH, there is no Catholic Church in BiH’, with a request that he accept this thought as an appeal for the preservation of the community that has been part of BiH for centuries and wants to remain an active and equal participant. In order to ensure equality, the Croatian people see the European path of BiH as a guarantee of stability and a fairer society for all its peoples,” said Krišto and emphasized that Pope Lava XIV invited to visit BiH.
Čović pointed out that the meetings were extremely important and that on that occasion they expressed their gratitude to the Holy Father for his continuous support to Catholics, but also informed him about the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially when it comes to the position of the Croatian people.
“From the political, but also moral side, it is very important to have the support of the Vatican and our Catholic Church. Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have many such true and dedicated friends as the Vatican State and our Church, led by Pope Leo XIV. For us, this was an inspiration and an incentive to continue working on securing a stable and European future for BiH, building a just and modern state in which the Croatian people will be completely equal with the other two constituent nations,” Čović said.
Darijana Filipović pointed out that for the Croatian people, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the support of the Holy See has a special meaning.
“It is encouraging to know that the views of the Vatican, that is, the Catholic Church, on the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina coincide with what we ourselves are consistently advocating for – the building of a stable, European state in which all three peoples will be completely equal. This is what further strengthens our determination to remain persistent, despite the challenges. This visit, although a state visit, cannot be separated from a sense of personal faith, which additionally directs us towards respect and dialogue in overall political action.” said Filipović after the meeting with the Holy Father.
Croatian political representatives of the executive and legislative authorities from Bosnia and Herzegovina presented the Holy Father with appropriate gifts – a portrait statue of Queen Katarina Kosača, who is buried in the Roman church of Santa Maria Aracoeli.
Vice-Chairman Čović presented Pope Leo XIV. jersey of the Croatian Sports Club Zrinjski Mostar, on which there is an invitation to the Holy Father to visit Mostar next year, about which he previously informed the local bishop, Petar Palić, according to the press release.
