Zadar, (IKA) – “Rejoice, O land of Croatia! With today’s act end your long years of suffering during the war of liberation, postwar period and all the difficult years that we have endured, not only during the onerous wartime occupation but also in the postwar period when various theories from our country and abroad were spread concerning the assessment of everything that happened to us. Indeed, we all have the right to rejoice because with the act of the acquittals of the Croatian Generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač, the defensive war is finally over,” said the President of the CCB, Msgr. Želimir Puljić, Ph.D., Bishop of Zadar, at a press conference at the Zadar Ordinariate held on Friday, November 16. “God forbid that the judgments from the first instance verdict remained in force. We would have carried a stigma for decades from which it would have been difficult to free ourselves,” said Msgr. Puljić. He noted that it was the task of media professionals to publish the news, to thank everyone who helped this happen: institutions engaged in the establishment and transmission of the truth, witnesses, media that wrote positively about it, priests who did what was within their competence, i.e., to fight with prayer for truth and justice.
“It paid off,” said the Archbishop of Zadar. He expressed surprise at the acquittals by the court on all counts. “We did not expect this. Last year’s verdict cast some doubt: ‘God knows how it will be.’ We were certain that the sentence would not be so long; we expected a reduction but not release. In this regard, I believe that it is the work of God! However, many elements are present and we rejoice in this!” said Msgr. Puljić. Regarding the efforts of those in the homeland who went along with the first instance verdict, Msgr. Puljić said: “Since the Hague Tribunal was politically intoned, politicians saw their interests and points in it. I think that now those who testified, helped or in any other sense participated so that this victory would not come in time, can only feel ashamed and apologize if they have any honor. I am sorry about this. However, I rejoice that justice and truth have finally won,” said Archbishop Puljić and concluded: We are the archdiocese in which Ante Gotovina made an indispensible contribution to our freedom. We want to thank Divine Providence for what happened.” At 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 24, the Feast of St. Chrysogonus, patron saint of the city of Zadar, a Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated by Msgr. Puljić in the Cathedral of St. Anastasia in Zadar. On Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King, the Archbishop invites the priests in the Archdiocese of Zadar to celebrate Masses of Thanksgiving for the gift of the acquittals and sing the hymn Holy God, We Praise Thy Name (Te Deum).