Tuzla, March 17, 1998 (IKA/KTA) – Orthodox and Catholic bishops from Bosnia-Herzegovina, led by Catholic Archbishop Cardinal Vinko Puljić of Sarajevo and Orthodox Metropolitan Nikolaj of Dabar-Bosnia, met on Tuesday, March 17, at the episcopal residence in Tuzla. “We express our sorrow and pain for all the evil that occurred in this tragic war on our territories” and “we jointly condemn every injustice inflicted upon people and all destruction to holy objects,” read the statement from the meeting signed by Catholic Cardinal Puljić, Orthodox Metropolitan Nikolaj, Orthodox Bishop Jefrem of Banja Luka, Orthodox Bishop Vasilije of Zvornik-Tuzla, Orthodox Bishop Atanasije of Zahum-Herzegovina-Primorje, Catholic Bishop Franjo Komarica of Banja Luka, Catholic Bishop Ratko Perić of Mostar and Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Pero Sudar of Sarajevo: “We sympathize with all who have suffered and continue to suffer. We pray for God to grant them consolidation and peace. We seek respect for all the inalienable rights and freedoms of every human being and nation, and especially for the rights to identity, home, homeland and property. We repent and sorrow for all the evil perpetrated during this war by some of the members of our communities, although they were not acting in the name of our Churches,” emphasized the Catholic and Orthodox bishops of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The statement continues: “We forgive all who have inflicted evil upon us. In the name of the Gospels, we pray for mutual forgiveness. We express our readiness for reconciliation and the building of genuine human relations and coexistence.” The bishops reiterated their readiness for dialogue and cooperation with the other traditional religious communities in Bosnia-Herzegovina but they also sought protection of their Churches “from all manipulation, especially political, as well as the misuse of religion, religious sentiment and symbols.” From the authorized government authorities and representatives of the international community, the Church leaders sought “the respect and facilitation of free unhindered movement and pastoral activity for all priests and religious officials.” The text continues: “It is high time to make every effort in the search for missing persons, especially two parish priests from the Banja Luka Diocese, Ratko Grgić and Tomislav Matanović.
We also seek the release from incarceration of all prisoners of war and other prisoners against whom no judicial proceedings are being conducted.
In the process of reviving reconciliation and a lasting peace, we expect the customary post-war amnesty to be applied.” The bishops urged the priests of their Churches to attempt to help each other and all people in need at the local level. The Church leaders agreed “for such meetings to be held regularly.” The end of the statement reads as follows: “Our human and Christian obligations to achieve all this have increased through our progression toward the encounter of the Great Jubilee of the Two Thousandth Anniversary of Christianity. In the Holy Spirit, we pray for the Resurrected Lord to renew our spirits and hearts – for the peace of the whole world and the well-being of the human race.”