Zagreb, (IKA) – Archbishop Cardinal Josip Bozanić of Zagreb issued a Christmas message to the faithful in which he emphasizes that the Incarnation of God in human history restores dignity to humankind. God came in order to make us capable of love, and this is the genuine content of Christmas. Asking what kind of night it is in Croatia and the world that awaits the coming of God on Christmas this year, the cardinal mentioned that for decades the faithful had been deprived of the typical symbols of Christmas celebration in public life, which was governed by communist ideology, and therefore felt pressured and often unjustly ill-treated, but that today Christian symbols are being ill-treated in an unacceptable manner. “The contents of Christian celebrations are being drowned in an atmosphere that has no valid connection with Christianity, to the extent that Christians may feel caught off-guard, confused and violated. However, the greatest difficulty is that amidst this excess and frivolity, humanity, modesty, humility and genuine devotion to God are too often lost, warned the cardinal, adding that the Christian event of the Incarnation, the event of Christ who became a man, must not be permitted to be divested of its humanity.

In the cardinal’s Christmas message, he further warned that on the one hand, Church officials are expected to issue evangelical and pastoral pronouncements on the state of the society, providing guidance for that which is good in the light of faith; and on the other hand, not only are their efforts to promote the good lightly dismissed but they are even censured for exceeding the authority of their offices. “Others expect that the Church, i.e. we pastors and you believers, should subordinate ourselves or adapt to interests that have nothing whatsoever in common with the gospel. They even teach us what we are supposed to say and do, and what we are not supposed to do. Those who have never accepted Christ’s Incarnation continue to desire a disincarnate Christianity,” cautioned the cardinal.

Speaking about the state of the Croatian society, the cardinal said that it sometimes shows disturbing signs of fatigue, a lack of joy and excitement, signs of depression, discord and interests that are not centered on the person. “It appears that such a situation promotes an ideology, regardless of the denomination, that comes from the same godless roots that do not bear the fruits of eternity, because the goals and the ultimate purpose of life are limited to those of this world,” he noted.

The cardinal observed that in our society there are bizarre celebrations in which God is nearly superfluous at Christmas, promoting a strange “civil consumer religion” which is contradictory and destructive to the person.

“In other parts of Europe, as in our country, politics recognizes the need for religious dimensions, cultural identity, and in some places national identity. However, there are always attempts to use Christianity and the Church according to politics’ own measures and purposes. Therefore, it is not surprising when those to whom Christianity is philosophically foreign and unacceptable, or those who do not recognize the living faith in Catholicism but who may declare themselves to be Catholics, attempt to use Catholicism to support their ideologies, invoking the Church when the society is in crisis or censuring the Church when its prophesies, in faithfulness to the Incarnation, cause embarrassment, eventually affording the Church a role in social-ethical correction, which is supposed to change direction at any moment according to the whims of mutable influences,” stated the cardinal in his message.

The cardinal told the faithful that “Christ’s Incarnation teaches us not to accept dubious praise and flattery, not to cave in easily or sink into despondency in the face of attacks and invectives against the Church, most often spread through the media by people who have succumbed to a mercenary mentality. On the contrary, Christ’s Incarnation teaches us not to make peace with those who would create reticent frightened yes-men from those who are prophetic.” The cardinal pointed out that Christ’s Incarnation calls the faithful to recognize each other in their milieus, to support each other in joy and to help people of goodwill in science, culture, economics, politics and the media who sacrifice themselves unselfishly, providing testimony of the Incarnation of the Truth, at the price marginalization and ridicule.

The cardinal also commented that there are attempts to present everything in a better light at Christmastime. Big words are used about peace and community. Humanitarian campaigns are inaugurated, greetings are exchanged etc. All of this transpires as if the deep wounds of the previous months had not been caused by anyone; as if no one had imposed unrest and division within the Croatian society and among people who are seeking the genuine good; as if no one had inflicted pain on anyone; as if we were not witnesses to violence on the streets, in families; as if we did not feel the burden of the loss of respect toward that which is sacred, toward life from its conception to natural death, toward Sunday as a day of rest, toward the sick and the aged, toward those who gave their lives or became disabled so that we might be free . . .

In his message, the cardinal noted that perhaps today’s Christmas only seems to be different from the first one, because, regardless of everything, is still the Christmas of the poor, abandoned and those marked by misfortune. This is the Christmas of reconciliation and longed-for peace. “God Incarnate asks us provocatively whether we are with him, do we want to be with him. How much do we accept him in our personal lives? What is his place in the family? Do we accept him in places of education, human growth and cultural development? Do we accept him in public, scientific, economic and political life, not as an ornament or as an attempt to secure and extend our own interests and influence, but as the sincere attempt to place God’s gifts at the service of all people?” These are questions that the cardinal presented for deliberation, adding that in Christianity God is not the opponent of humankind but became a man in order to unite in solidarity with each person, “because he proclaimed to us that he cares about the joys of all of us.”

“While it will appear to some that every year at this time the same thing is repeated and that the Christmas season is only a small hiatus in mutual rivalry, conflicts and dissension, as Christians we discover the challenging joy of the Incarnation anew, an event that surpasses human history and creates from it the divine-human reality, which does not permit indifference from those who call themselves Christians,” pointed out the cardinal, noting that the Incarnation of Jesus Christ is a challenge, moreover an appeal for the Christian to learn from Christ how to foster community, peace and solidarity. In his message, the cardinal recalled that during the days of Christmas, several tens of thousands of young people from European countries are coming to Zagreb for the Pilgrimage of Trust on Earth and will testify to their faith in Jesus Christ.

God banished darkness, so that his light would reveal the truth of the marvelous world and his most precious creation – man. Christmas is indeed about the divine nature of man. Look closely at this truth through the eyes of the people to whom you will send Christmas greetings, recommended the cardinal, wishing all a Merry Christmas and blessing through the light of God in the year 2007.