Bosnian franciscans: outlines from statements on elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo, 2. 9. 1996. (IKA) – Bosnian Franciscans had gathered for a meeting, spiritual workshop, at demolished building of Franciscan Theological School in Sarajevo, on 28th August. Franciscans of Franciscans province Bosnia Argentina addrssed a statement for the public by the occasion of recent elections in Republic of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, in September. In this statement, signed by the provincial ni usten father Petar Anđelović, in the name of Bosnian Franciscans, Franciscans are discussing several questions. The first part, with the title “Critical overview of the past”, they ask all political events during the
“four years of war to be analyzed and considered again, from the election in 1990th and to find the reasons for the causes of great suffering during the time of war. At the second part, “Analysis of political events in the light
of faith”, Franciscans are recommending to the believers to see and to judge the political events objectively in the light of God#!s announcement (“God#!s Ten Commandments” and “Two Commandments of Love”) .
They also emphasized the need of living together, because, all people have equal rights, as they all are beings and children of God. In the third part, with the title “We shall go to vote”, Franciscans are appealing “not to vote those political programs, parties or people who had brought our country and people to this catastrophe. It is necessary to give the vote to the parties and persons who are democrats and not to those who want to implement one party system at the entire state or at one nation, again. To vote for those who are working on confirmation of rights and values God
gave to men: right on life, on home and homeland, on work and incom, on freedom of sense and faith, on associations and living together with the people of other religion and nation, on peace. To vote for those who build the existence, unity and welfare of their nation in spirit of solidarity and respect among nations and not on the ideology of the
mentality of a conqueror or subject. To vote for those persons and parties, for whom politics mean serving to and not rule over the people and nations”. At the fourth, last part, “Bosnia and Croats”, Franciscans conclude that these elections will answer the question on Bosnia and Croats and at the end: “That answer will be positive if we elect the
political, leaders who are pleading for Bosnia and Herzegovina as an independent and sovereign state, where Croats will be on their own ground and equal with rights with other nations that live in it”