Zagreb, April 30, 1997 (IKA) – The Caritas charitable organization of the
Bosnian-Herzegovian Conference of Catholic Bishops was awarded Pope John Paul II#!s International Peace Prize on the occasion of the Pope#!s recent
visit to Sarajevo. The Catholic weekly Glas Koncila published an
interview with Dr. Miljenko Aničić, head of the Caritas charitable
organization in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The award presented to Dr. Aničić by
the Holy Father is worth US $200,000. “I consider this award a further
incentive, not only for decisively increasing our charitable activity but
for contributing thereby to reconciliation among the people of various
nationalities and religious confessions. For me, this is the message that
the Holy Father wanted to convey by awarding this prize,” emphasized Dr.
Aničić. The Caritas charitable organization of the Bishops#! Conference of
Bosnia-Herzegovina, stresses its leader, was “born in war.” During the
war, through the agency of Caritas, assistance worth 180 million German
marks arrived from the national Caritas branches of Western European
countries. Great assistance also arrived from the Croatian Catholic
missions throughout the world, estimated at tens of millions of German
marks. “Thanks to this assistance, we were able to deliver and distribute
approximately 40 thousand tons of food, large amounts of clothing and
medications in the Sarajevo Archdiocese, Mostar Diocese and Banja Luka
Diocese. We organized seven plantings. The spring planting last year was
worth over 4 million marks,” stated Dr. Aničić. “Since 1993, Caritas has
restored houses in the Sarajevo Archdiocese and the Mostar Diocese, and
since 1996 in the Banja Luka Diocese. For example, the Swiss branch of
Caritas invested 8.6 million marks in a program to restore houses.
Similar amounts arrived from the German, Austrian and Italian branches of
Caritas. However, others have also participated in restoration, such as
the Swedish branch of Caritas, Secours Catholique from France; Caritas
branches in Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain and Belgium; and the Catholic
Relief Services from the U.S.A. Caritas Internationalis of Rome has also
given our programs great support.” Dr. Aničić emphasized that the needs
of people of all nationalities and religions have been taken into account
in all the programs. Regarding the future goals of Caritas in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dr. Miljenko Aničić said, “From the medium range
aspect, Caritas in Bosnia-Herzegovina will certainly implement programs to
restore houses and infrastructures. We must devote greater attention to
the development of small enterprises. In certain areas of
Bosnia-Herzegovina, it will be necessary to organize medical
institutions.” The long range goals for Caritas concern the areas of
social work; welfare for children, the elderly, the helpless, the
handicapped, families etc. As a priest in the Banja Luka Diocese as well
as the leader of Caritas who constantly deals with the problems of the
people in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dr. Aničić emphasized that he views the
future of the Catholic Church in Bosnia-Herzegovina “with optimism,”
noting that it has overcome even greater misfortunes during its history.
“Throughout the past war, the Church has tirelessly and consistently
supported every endangered person, forgiveness and reconciliation. The
recent visit by the Holy Father was a further powerful impetus in this
direction. I am convinced that these efforts must bear fruit,” concluded
the head of the Caritas charitable organization of the Bosnian-Herzegovian
Conference of Catholic Bishops.