Sarajevo, September 3, 1997 (IKA) — An explosive device went off in front of the doors of the Jesuit church in the Grbavica section of Sarajevo this morning at 3:37 a.m. The doors of the church were destroyed by the force of the explosion, leaving a crater 20 cm deep. All the windows of the church and of the first floor of the parish rectory were broken, and the door frames within the church were cracked. According to the most recent available information, a police investigation is in progress. Early this morning, the archbishop of Sarajevo, Cardinal Vinko Puljić, visited the Jesuit headquarters in Grbavica. The cardinal noted that not a single representative of the international institutions had visited the scene of the explosion, except for the international police forces that were called to make inspection.
In addition to regular parish duties, the Jesuits in Grbavica are also active in charitable activities and help refugees and displaced persons. The help provided by the Jesuits is intended for all, regardless of nationality or religious affiliation. The Jesuits have also established a public kitchen that provides food for about 200 persons every day.