Sarajevo, March 13, 2001 (IKA/KTA) — At a meeting in held in Sarajevo on March 8, 2001, the members of the Conference of Bishops of Bosnia-Herzegovina discussed, among other topics, the recent circumstances of the Croatian ethnic nation in Bosnia-Herzegovina following the Croatian National Assembly and the replacement of Ante Jelavić. In a public statement, the bishops reiterated their gratitude to Pope John Paul II, who on February 9, 2001 said the following to representatives of the International League of Humanists: “They need support and understanding: support in order to overcome the existing social, political and economic difficulties; and understanding so that the optimal solution will be found that meets the legal expectations of all three constituent nations of the country.” The bishops expressed their disapproval of the way in which the representatives of the International Community in Bosnia-Herzegovina have been ignoring the will of the Croatian ethnic nation expressed at the elections held in November of last year. “Since the Croatian ethnic nation, like the other two ethnic nations, is a constituent ethnic nation throughout all the territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina, we are of the opinion that the decisions by the International Community on the Election Act, the manner of choosing the members of the Presidency, and the rule of the Parliament abrogates the equality and identity of the Croatian ethnic nation in comparison to the other two nations,” stated the bishops. They furthermore invited the appropriate representatives of the International Community to enter into dialogue with the representatives to whom the Croatian electoral body has democratically entrusted political confidence in order to find a suitable solution to the present crisis.
The Catholic bishops in Bosnia-Herzegovina urge the political representatives who were legally and legitimately elected to represent the interests of the Croatian ethnic nation throughout the territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina to be open for dialogue with all who seek a just sociopolitical solution for this country and all its inhabitants. The bishops also distanced themselves from all those who would wish to take advantage of the interests of the Croatian ethnic nation in Bosnia-Herzegovina for private goals, as well as those who want the Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina to have the status of a national ethnic minority. At the end of their statement, the Bishops of Bosnia-Herzegovina urged all the members of the Croatian nation in Bosnia-Herzegovina to behave with dignity, and the faithful to pray and trust in Divine providence.