Zagreb, October 19, 1997 (IKA) — The Secretariat of the Croatian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement today, October 18, on the fourteenth plenary session of the Croatian Conference of Catholic Bishops held in Dubrovnik from October 14 to 16. Besides the previously announced news that Archbishop Josip Bozanić has been elected as the new president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and that Bishop Antun Škvorčević of Požega has been elected as general secretary, the statement mentioned other appointments. Archbishop Anton Tamarut of Rijeka-Senj is a new member of the Standing Committee of the Croatian Conference of Bishops; Bishop Ante Ivas of Šibenik is the new president of the Council for Laity; and Bishop Marko Culej is the new president for the Committee for the Great Jubilee Year 2000. The new president of the Supervisory Council of Croatian Caritas is Archbishop Ivan Prenđa of Zadar.
The bishops have accepted the proposal for the revised curriculum and program for Catholic catechism in elementary schools and requested that a complete curriculum and program for parish catechism be prepared as soon as possible. Military Bishop Juraj Jezerinac presented the Regulations for the Organization and Activity of the Military Ordinariate in the Republic of Croatia. Drafts were approved for the Bylaws of Catholic Schools in Croatia and Bylaws for the Center for Social Doctrine of the Church. Closer cooperation was established with the Slovenian Conference of Bishops and for this purpose Archbishop Bozanić will travel to Ljubljana. The bishops from Bosnia-Herzegovina who were present as guests reported on the tragic event in Čapljina. The bishops of the Republic of Croatia condemned the abuse of the sacraments and manipulation of the faithful, appealing to the Church community around the diocesan bishop. The bishop of Križevci, Slavomir Miklovš, received support that the dispute regarding the bishop#!s residence in Križevci should be solved “by negotiation in accordance with the Church regulations and pastoral needs.” A new Commission for the Administration of the Pontifical Croatian Institute of St. Jerome in Rome was selected. Thanking Cardinal Franjo Kuharić, who had served until this session as the president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, archbishop Ante Jurić, as vice president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, called him “the tested captain of the ship of our Church, that under his leadership sailed with dignity through difficult trials and turbulent times.”