Zagreb, November 30, 1999 (IKA) — On November 29, the Catholic bishops of the Republic of Croatia issued a Pastoral Message on the forthcoming election for the members of the House of Representatives of the Croatian National Parliament. Addressing all citizens, the bishops emphasize that the Croatian National Parliament is the supreme legislative body and that it is necessary for such people to enter it “who by their integrity and ability can best respond and contribute the most to the actual needs of the Croatian state and its citizens.” Emphasizing that the mission of the Church is not a political, economic or social order, the bishops urge all to exercise their right to vote. Since many candidates will not be sufficiently known to the entire electorate, the bishops urge the voters “to study the party program and its activity so far” because “politicians during the campaign period are known to make grandiose promises that are not backed by real options,” which nevertheless should not be a reason for citizens to refrain from voting. “Each person has the obligation to vote according to his/her conscience,” state the bishops.
In the section of the message in which the bishops address the Catholic believers, they emphasize that “in deciding for whom to vote, they must take into account the extent to which the party programs and the moral character of a particular candidate on the party list are in accordance with the religious teachings and moral tenets of the Catholic Church. This does not mean that we would impose Catholic opinions upon the entire country, but it is understandable that a Catholic should not give his/her vote to those whose program would include the negation and destruction of those values that are sacred to believers,” said the Croatian bishops. They also urge believers to evaluate candidates according to the extent that they will support “tolerance and dialogue, the building of a legal and social state, justice in society; how much concern they demonstrate for families and children, the unemployed, young people, the poor, the elderly; to what extent they champion the civilization of love and human life from conception to a natural death.”
The Croatian bishops urge politicians to present themselves and their parties in the most correct manner possible, respecting the culture of dialogue, and avoiding accusations and degradation. “Who only finds fault with the other party is not behaving convincingly,” warn the bishops. They appeal to all candidates “to be as open, clear and truthful as possible in their campaign promises.”
In reference to the organization and conducting of the Croatian elections, the bishops want the voting to be democratic, secret and free, in keeping with international conventions and European democratic standards. Nevertheless, the bishops caution: “In our circumstances, it is most important for all the parties and politicians to comply strictly with the election law and campaign regulations.” The voters have the right via all the mass media to obtain objective information about the parties and candidates, while the parties and candidates have the right to equal campaign coverage . The official commissiona supervising the elections must be of a mixed composition. “Certain factors outside of Croatia should not be permitted to restrict the expression of the genuine will of the Croatian voters,” state the Croatian bishops.
At the conclusion of the message, the bishops warn priests “not to become involved in any party activity whatsoever. They should urge believers to make responsible use of their right to vote. Under no circumstances should priests tell believers which party to vote for but they should explain Catholic social doctrine and religious tenets in connection with the current political situation.” The bishops also expressed the hope that the campaigning “will not significantly disturb the liturgical atmosphere of the Advent and Christmas season,” when the celebration of the Great Jubilee 2000 will begin.