Sarajevo, March 24, 2000 (IKA/KTA) — On March 24, the archbishop of Sarajevo,
Cardinal Vinko Puljić, and the auxiliary bishop of Sarajevo, Dr. Pero Sudar, received the president of the Republic of Croatia, Stipe Mesić, together with his entourage. In a cordial and open meeting lasting for one hour, they discussed, among other things, the necessity for the Croatian nation to be a constituent nation throughout the entire territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina, in order permit the many who wish to return to their homes to do so. The archdiocese of Sarajevo and the diocese of Banja Luka are particularly interested in this matter because there are numerous people who want to return to their native villages and towns, particularly in Bosanska Posavina. They also discussed ways of providing assistance to people after they return to their homes.
The Church has encountered a problem in achieving its mission due to a lack of
understanding by the authorities in places where Catholic educational centers are
located. There has been great difficulty because the secondary school in Travnik, owned and operated by the Church before the war, has not been returned to the Church. The authorities in Travnik have expressed the intention to build their own school on Church land in Travnik, in the immediate vicinity of the existing Travnik secondary school. The Church wants to restore Catholic education, as it existed prior to the war, to the territories of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Until now, Croats have not been able to receive an answer as to why they should remain and live in Bosnia-Herzegovina. During the past year, the number of Croats has been reduced by approximately 8,000, mostly from territories that used to have a Croatian majority prior to the war. If returnees could receive at least as much assistance as those remaining in the Republic of Croatia
receive, there would be some possibility for them to return.
At a brief press conference following the meeting, President Mesić expressed his satisfaction that the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the representatives of the Catholic Church in Bosnia-Herzegovina first want to facilitate the return of all those who wish to return. Therefore, it is necessary to repair and restore the houses of the returnees, and then renew the economy in order to make a decent life possible. It is also very important for people to have a place to educate their children, which the Catholic educational centers offer. At the conclusion of his statement, President Mesić noted with satisfaction that the Church in Bosnia-Herzegovina is not seeking anything more for itself than others received. Cardinal Puljić said: “We are equal in our rights. If it will be this way, we shall be satisfied.”
At the end of the press conference, President Mesić expressed his belief that
“we will do far more for return than has been done up to now.”