Sarajevo, June 14, 1999 (IKA) – A round table discussion on “Reconciliation and Forgiveness to Truth and Justice” was held in Sarajevo on June 12 under the auspices of the Justitia et Pax (Justice and Peace) Commission of the Bosnian-Herzegovian Conference of Catholic Bishops. The approximately hundred participants and guests included Archbishop Vinko Puljić of Sarajevo, Bishop Ratko Perić of Mostar; the president of the Jewish Community in Sarajevo, Jakob Finci; the provincial of the Sarajevo Franciscan Province, Fra Petar Anđelović; the deputy high representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jacques Klein; the American and Iranian ambassadors, and numerous public figures in politics and society. On behalf of the Justitia et Pax Commission of the Bosnian-Herzegovian Conference of Bishops, greetings were expressed by Fra Ivan Bubalo, who emphasized that the goal of the assembly was to speak from various viewpoints about the possibilities, need and significance of reconciliation. The discussion began with a lecture by Cardinal Vinko Puljić, who presented disturbing statistics on the present number of Catholics in Bosnia-Herzegovina in comparison to the pre-war number. He noted that in April 1991, Bosnia-Herzegovina had approximately 4,377,000 inhabitants, of whom 852,000 were Catholics, and that during the war the number of Catholics was reduced by half. Cardinal Puljić entitled his presentation “The Imperative of Forgiveness” and discussed the concept and need for forgiveness, presenting the Catholic position toward reconciliation as an imperative, because with reconciliation “a person is liberated from evil and becomes capable of doing good.” Jakob Finci presented a lecture entitled “God and Israel: Forgiveness and Reconciliation.” He pointed out that Judaism does not recognize collective responsibility but only individual guilt and responsibility. Nemanja Dražić spoke about the teachings of the Serbian Orthodox Church concerning forgiveness and reconciliation. Quoting the Bible, Dražić showed how God, whose example should be imitated by man, desires peace and reconciliation. He also pointed out that the problem is not with believers but with nonbelievers who, as he said, “are in the majority.” Prof. Neven Šimac spoke on “Forgiveness and Reconciliation in the World of the Secularized West.” He presented a series of often contradictory statements and acts concerning peace and reconciliation, quoting a number of Christian and Jewish philosophers and scholars. Addressing the international representatives, he presented a series of specific examples of discrepancies between “word and deed” in the international community#!s relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina during and after the war. The meeting was concluded by Cardinal Puljić, who thanked all the participants and guests.