The members of the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Conference of Bishops held their Fourteenth Regular Annual Joint Session on January 30 and 31, 2012, at the Archdiocesan Ordinariate in Sarajevo. Msgr. Franjo Komarica, Ph.D., Bishop of Banja Luka, and Msgr. Marin Srakić, Ph.D., Archbishop of Đakovo-Osijek, presided. All the bishops of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 19 bishops from the Republic of Croatia attended. Bishop Komarica and Archbishop Srakić welcomed the bishops who were participating in the joint session for the first time: Bishop Mate Uzinić of Dubrovnik, Military Ordinary Tomo Vukšić of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bishop Coadjutor Dražen Kutleša of Poreč-Pula.

The bishops devoted considerable attention to a letter-message dated January 14, 2012, sent to them by Vatican Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone. They expressed gratitude for the letter, in which the abiding concern of the Holy Father for the Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina is evident. They are pleased that the Holy See recognizes the annual joint session of the two bishops’ conferences as “an additional sign of the unity of the Catholic Church in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina,” and that this unity constitutes “a shared vision of the roles, responsibilities and activities of the Church.” The bishops of Bosnia and Herzegovina again expressed their gratitude for all the campaigns inaugurated by the bishops of Croatia together with their priests, religious and faithful, for the purpose of assisting the members of the diocesan communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the areas where conditions are particularly difficult. They also mentioned that partnership from all the dioceses in Croatia had helped restore devastated parishes in Bosnia and Herzegovina and that a number of worthy campaigns had been conducted in cooperation among the dioceses, parishes, Caritas and other Church institutions. All the bishops agreed that further work is necessary at the level of pastoral connections, especially regarding visits to displaced and refugee Croats from Bosnia and Herzegovina living in the Republic of Croatia.

Aware of the difficult conditions in which Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina find themselves, the vast majority of whom are Croats, and additionally encouraged by the letter from Secretary of State Bertone, the bishops considered ways to intensify their commitment to the future of the Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They expressed particular concern due to the inequality of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the other two major ethnic groups in that country, and stressed that it is necessary to work at all levels for each ethnic group and each person in every part of Bosnia and Herzegovina to have equal rights. They hope that undertakings by the recently formed Government and Parliament of the Republic of Croatia, as well as the Presidency, particularly the recently formed Council of Ministers of the Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, will be in this spirit. Encouraged by the aforementioned letter from Cardinal Bertone, they decisively support continued “cooperation with the civil authorities and all persons of good will” with the goal of improving the situation of the “alarming data” concerning the Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the spirit of intensified concern for the Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the aim of promoting stronger relationships and mutual enrichment in spiritual connections, every year the campaign Solidarity Week with the Church and People of Bosnia and Herzegovina is held, as reported by the President of Caritas Croatia, Bishop Josip Mrzljak, and the President of Caritas of the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bishop Franjo Komarica. The bishops expressed particular appreciation to all those who had manifested their closeness to the Church and people in Bosnia and Herzegovina in need through their prayers, material contributions or in other ways, noting that the majority of the media in Croatia played a worthy role. Furthermore, they expressed their joy regarding increasingly strong prayer fellowship, as well as gratitude that the funds raised last year were considerably more than in previous years. This year’s Solidarity Week will be held from March 4 to 11. The bishops are acquainted with the initiatives for this year’s Solidarity Week, with the goal of increasing the sensitivity of the public in Croatia concerning solidarity and unity with the people and Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina, encouragement of mutual assistance, the fostering of meetings, visits back and forth among the faithful of the two countries, and the building of spiritual fellowship.

The Rector of the Croatian Pontifical College of St. Jerome, Msgr. Jure Bogdan, Ph.D., acquainted the bishops with the current situation at the College: the number of student priests (24), the College bylaws, the work of the Administration, spiritual life in the College, students’ doctoral dissertations, master’s degrees awarded etc. The bishops thanked Rector Bogdan and his associates for their conscientious concern for the institution, which has particular significance for the Church among the Croats. They also listened to a report by the President of the Episcopal Commission for the College, Bishop Vlado Košić. They were pleased that the students, despite some objections, consider their stay in Rome to indicate confidence entrusted to them by the bishops, which they wish to justify through their studies. The bishops thanked the five-member Episcopal Commission, whose five-year mandate expires this year.

The President of the Council of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Croatian Congregations Abroad, Msgr. Pero Sudar, Ph.D., acquainted the bishops with the work and attempts by the Council in coordinating the Croatian congregations abroad. The Head of the Office for Croatian Pastoral Ministry Abroad, Fr. Josip Bebić, spoke about the 197 Croatian Catholic Missions throughout the world and the work of the Office, which now has its headquarters in the new building of the Croatian Conference of Bishops in Zagreb. The bishops were pleased that Croatian Catholic emigrants, not only first and second generations, gladly and in large numbers participate in the liturgical, pastoral, social and cultural events in Croatian Catholic parishes and missions. They also discussed specific problems as well as a proposal by Bishop Sudar and Fr. Bebić, accepted certain obligations and provided specific instructions. They are grateful to all the pastoral personnel in the missions and support their efforts.

The President of the Commission of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Croatian Martyrology, Msgr. Mile Bogović, Ph.D., reported on the work of the Commission, whose members are heads of postulators’ offices and vice-postulators’ offices for the beatification or canonization of witnesses to the faith, together with experts in twentieth century Church and secular history. The following immediate tasks were cited: a scholarly meeting, which should be held in April 2012 in Zagreb, and the establishment of episcopal commissions. The desire was emphasized for the overall work of the Commission to make a contribution to the discovery and awareness of the element of religious martyrdom that occurred. They stressed the importance of the Christian attitude toward victims, where the emphasis is placed on respect for the martyrs and not the cruelty of their tormenters.

A report by the President of the Council for Missions, Msgr. Slobodan Štambuk, informed the bishops about several important connections between the Pontifical mission activities of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They praised the joint initiatives of the Commission, which attempts to reawaken missionary awareness among the faithful and provide ongoing support to the missionaries in their holy work of proclaiming the good news.

Msgr. Ante Škvorčević, Ph.D., President of the Council of the Liturgy of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, reported to the bishops on the translation and approval of liturgical texts.
On January 30, the bishops celebrated the Eucharist together in the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Sarajevo. Following the Mass, they prayed at the tomb of the Servant of God Dr. Josip Stadler, the first archbishop of Sarajevo. The celebration of the Eucharist was led by Cardinal Puljić and the homily was delivered by Archbishop Srakić. The Apostolic Nuncio in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Archbishop Alessandro D’Errico, also addressed those assembled.