The Franciscans of Bosna Srebrena issued a statement. The reason for this is the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), which is anything but good.
”After the end of the Chapter of the Franciscan Province of the Holy Cross – Bosna Srebrena, which was celebrated in the monastery of St. Paul in Sarajevo from April 25th to 30th 2022, the Franciscans of Bosna Srebrena made the following statement to the public:
The historical moment in which we live has been marked by a deep political, economic, social, cultural, and moral-ethical crisis. At the political level, our homeland BiH is still torn between separatism and unitarism, and the most important spheres of public life are still threatened by corruption, nepotism, and party eligibility. All these enduring difficulties have been accompanied by the severe consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
All this – political instability, difficult economic situation, bad social climate, as well as military conflict in Europe – burdens the lives of ordinary people, and especially affects young people, which accelerates the long exodus of young families because they can not ensure a dignified existence in their homeland.
Faithful to our centuries-old mission, we Franciscans of Bosna Srebrena continue to stand by our people and at our hearths, trying to do as much as we can to alleviate the hardships faced by our believers, especially those marginalized by society.
We believe that a united and European BiH, which will ensure the individual, national, and religious rights and freedoms of all who live in it, is the best living framework for all of us. We, for our part, want to contribute to the creation of such a BiH, faithful to our historical heritage, according to our abilities, thus fulfilling our basic task – to serve in the evangelical and Franciscan spirit the Croatian Catholic people and every man regardless of his religious and national affiliation which we have been doing for over seven centuries in this country.
So, in this context, we call on all peoples in BiH, as well as every human being, to build this state together without imposing any solutions from the side that only contribute to further divisions. In doing so, we especially call on all political actors in our homeland to set aside particular interests and quarrels and to finally commit to building the common good, to avoid any inappropriate rhetoric that could hurt any man. BiH is our common home in which every individual – no matter what nation and worldview he belongs to – must feel safe and protected in all his rights and freedoms.
In this spirit, we wish all the inhabitants of our homeland BiH: Peace and good,” said the Franciscans.
E.Dz.
