Zagreb, (IKA) – Members of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and the Bishops Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina held their fifteenth regular annual joint session on January 21, 2013, in the CCB building in Zagreb. Archbishop Želimir Puljić of Zadar, President of the CCB, presided.
During the session, according to the statement issued, the bishops of the two bishops’ conferences also met with the Apostolic Nuncio in the Republic of Croatia, Archbishop Alessandro D’Errico, who referred to the Letter-Message from the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, addressed one year ago to the bishops of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which expressed the concern of the Holy Father and Holy See regarding the future of the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina due to the lack of support for the organized return of displaced and refugee Croats, i.e., Catholics. He expressed regret that the situation concerning the return of Croats to Bosnia and Herzegovina had not improved during the past year. Cardinal Bertone added that the Holy See expects reports on the activities undertaken by the two bishops’ conferences to improve the unenviable situation of Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also emphasized the importance of conducting joint campaigns such as Solidarity Week and similar joint initiatives by the two bishops’ conferences in dealing with the existential challenges and difficulties facing the Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He informed the bishops of his meetings with representatives of the Croatian authorities, who promised him greater and more decisive commitment to the rights of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the sustainable return of displaced and refugee Croats who so desire.
The bishops of Bosnia and Herzegovina thanked all who had participated and supported Solidarity Week in the dioceses of the Republic of Croatia and all who have shown understanding for the unenviable situation of Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially in the entity of the Republika Srpska, where only five percent of the prewar Catholic population remain. They stressed the particular importance of mutual spiritual and other bonds and support. They expressed their solidarity and support to the bishops of Croatia in their efforts to present the official moral and social doctrine of the Catholic Church clearly and decisively before the members of the diocesan communities and the entire domestic population.
The bishops listened to a report on the work of the Episcopal Commission of the Croatian Conference of Bishops for the Liturgy regarding a new translation of the Missal and discussed several issues related to the liturgical calendar as well as the publication of a cantual and gradual, and made suggestions.
The also heard and discussed a report by the Joint Council of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Office for Croatian Pastoral Ministry Outside Croatia.
Upon listening to a report on the work of the Commission of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Croatian Martyrology, the bishops approved new members of the Commission and provided guidelines for the preparation of Commission Regulations. They supported a proposal for the presentation of the Croatian Martyrology project in all the diocesan sees and major centers in every diocese and the continued collection of the necessary data on all the victims in the parishes, the sites of mass graves and the testimony of surviving witnesses, with the aim of later identifying persons for whom the process of canonization could be initiated.
The bishops also listened to the annual report on the work of the Commission for the Pontifical Croatian College of St. Jerome in Rome, among other things, according to the statement issued by the secretariats of the two bishops’ conferences.