Sarajevo, September 30, 1999 (IKA) — The first unofficial meeting between the members of the Bosnian-Herzegovian Conference of Bishops and the apostolic nuncio to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Giuseppe Leanza, was held last week at the apostolic nunciature in Sarajevo. The reason for the meeting was a mutual desire for the nuncio to become acquainted with the current situation regarding the lives of the faithful and clergy in the individual dioceses, their problems and needs at present. During the first part of the meeting, each bishop presented the situation in his own diocese regarding the number of parishes, parishioners, priests, monks and nuns. He then presented the current problems in his territory.
Bishop Franjo Komarica of Banja Luka presented statistical data from before the war and the current unenviable situation in his diocese. Out of 47 parishes, only 15 still exist today in the territory of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina with approximately 34,000 Catholics, including 8,000 from the Sarajevo Diocese. In the Republika Srpska, only a few parishes are active. Out of the 80,000 Catholics who had been in the territory of the present Republika Srpska, there are presently only 8,000. Among the diocesan clergy, 20 are presently engaged pastorally in the diocese and 15 in other countries. Pastoral activity is also conducted by 28 Franciscans, 3 Trappists and 45 nuns that are mainly in the territory of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Approximately 22 rectories from parishes and monasteries have been confiscated. In the territory of the Republika Srpska, it is only possible to live in 15 parish rectories, and in 17 there is no possibility of living. The Diocesan Caritas, assisted by foreign Caritas, has engaged in the renovation of more than one thousand houses that were destroyed. Bishop Komarica stressed that the lack of a legal state was the main problem regarding the return of displaced persons to the territory of the Republika Srpska. All the forces are working against return, and there is also the problem that Croatian Catholics do not have their own political representatives in that territory. The bishop of Banja Luka mentioned Pope John Paul II’s desire to provide even stronger support for the survival of the Banja Luka Diocese.
Bishop Ratko Perić of Mostar-Duvno presented the situation in his diocese. In the territory of the Mostar-Duvno Diocese there are 185,000 Catholics, and in Trebinje-Mrkan there are 19,000. Out of 107 diocesan priests, 77 are active in the territory of the diocese, and there are also 190 Franciscans. Bishop Perić acquainted the apostolic nuncio with the difficulties in the dioceses that, in accordance with the Papal decree, Franciscan priests are supposed to turn over to diocesan priests.
Archbishop Vinko Puljić of Sarajevo pointed out that before the war there were 528,000 Catholics in the Sarajevo Archdiocese living in 144 parishes, and now only 210,000 Catholics live in the territory of the archdiocese, among whom are very few young people. During the war, over 600 Church buildings were destroyed. Over 30 parishes in the territory of the Republika Srpska are now inactive because the faithful and clergy have been expelled. The archdiocese has 213 diocesan priests, of whom 120 are engaged in the archdiocese. Approximately 130 Franciscans, 4 Jesuits, 3 Salesians and one Dominican are engaged in pastoral work. In Sarajevo there are also 3 provincial convents, and nuns from other congregations are engaged in the archdiocese. There are 2 schools of theology, 2 seminaries and 5 Catholic school centers. As priorities, Cardinal Puljić emphasized the need to heal the consequences of the war and the need for reconciliation. There are problems with maintaining central Church institutions, rebuilding destroyed churches and parish rectories, as well as the questions of the legal status of the Church, the return of Church property, the right of the Church to operate schools, health insurance for priests etc.