Cardinal Kuharić: "Church can not be indifferent to the way how the State is functioning"

Zagreb, 10. 4. 1996. (IKA) – Zagreb Archbishop Franjo Cardinal Kuharić gave an interview to Dubravko Horvatić for the weekly magazine “Hrvatsko slovo”. Answering the question that there is no controversy between Croatian State and the Church Cardinal Kuharić warned “some newspapers try to present as if there are misunderstanding, to the readers”, the Church can not be indifferent to how the State is functioning, in spite there are, now, much more freedom then during the communism. “The good functioning of the State is the interest of the Church and it means a State in which human rights will be respected, State of social justice, State that fulfills its function to the man, to the family, to the whole community, the State that enables to all people to live with dignity”, said Cardinal Kuharić emphasizing that the Church only attracts the attention only to what she finds bad at the society, to manipulations, smuggling, violations of human rights, misusing of the position at the state and so on. But, “we are warning in good intention, we have never been malicious critics”. Zagreb Archbishop emphasized, in his interview, that it is important for the benefit of the State and the nation the moral principles in self defense to be respected, too. The war because of defense, actually a necessary self defense, should never turn to revenge and should not be an expression of hatred, said Cardinal, and added: “You are not allowed to touch neither the people nor the property nor the prisoners at the deliberated territories”. He emphasized the right of the refugees on return to their homes, too, and continued talking about the importance of reconciliation and of living together. Because, “when the war will be over, when the arm conflicts will stop, it will be necessary to build a peace such that new relationships between the people could be established, relationships of freedom, respect, peace”. Archbishop Kuharić talked about demographic and spiritual renewal, too, and he emphasized that the spiritual renewal should be based on conversion, while the demographic renewal is the question of family.