Zagreb (IKA) — Commenting on the media articles about Zagreb Caritas and the alleged abuse of children at the Caritas Home for Neglected Children in Brezovica near Zagreb, the archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, expressed his desire for the authorized and responsible agencies to establish the truth and issue a ruling as soon as possible, based upon the ongoing investigation in remarks made during a Mass celebrated for the Homeland on June 25. “With a heart full of pain,” he condemned the evil that is being discussed, insofar as it was perpetrated.

The cardinal pointed out that the home in Brezovica, like similar institutions, must operate in compliance with the law and under the supervision of the authorized government institutions. According to the principle of subsidiarity, those who are directly responsible should always be ready for the rapid intervention of the responsible civil services in the event that a crime occurs, in order to prevent and uproot it in the correct manner.

Although these are difficult moments for Zagreb Caritas, the cardinal noted that the great good that this Caritas has done for decades up to the present under the leadership of Jelena Brajša for people of various ages, especially newborn, abandoned, disenfranchised and handicapped children, should not be forgotten.

The cardinal emphasized that this unfortunate case should help all, the Church, government and public, to improve the upbringing and protection of children. Noting that Zagreb Caritas is now confronting an examination of its internal organization, the cardinal said that although it operates as a relatively autonomous institution, it will be required and helped to adapt its organization and operations to new conditions. Transparency is the most effective protection for all those who work in such institutions, he concluded.

At the Mass for the Homeland, on behalf of the children of the Brezovica home, the cardinal asked the media to exercise greater sensitivity and consideration toward the children who are living there now. “The media campaign in connection with the Brezovica case, that allegedly happened many years ago, inflicts severe emotional pain and discomfort upon the current generation of children living there in their encounters with other children, particularly due to the image that the media has presented of their Brezovica, which is still their only home,” stated Cardinal Bozanić.

The home for neglected children in Brezovica is under investigation by the police and the prosecutor’s office due to alleged child abuse.