Zagreb, (IKA) – In the premises of the Croatian Conference of Bishops in Zagreb, a session of the Justice and Peace Commission was held on September 22, with Bishop Vlado Košić presiding. In considering the current situation in the country, the Commission expressed regret that August 23 had not been commemorated in Croatia as a day of remembrance for the victims of totalitarianism, although it had been invited to do so by the European Parliament. The fact is that in our society the undemocratic tendencies of those who are preventing the truth about our past from finally obtaining its rightful place in the consciousness of our citizens are gaining strength. The Commission showed concern about the increasing attacks on the Church and the right to express opinions.
The Commission, faithful to its calling and name – Justice and Peace – welcomes the willingness of the Croatian political institutions, the parliament and government, to resolve the unresolved border issues with neighboring states in the spirit of the existing international law and the arbitration rulings of the Badinter Commission. The Justice and Peace Commission urges the most distinguished Croatian scientific and cultural institutions to support such efforts and decisions, so that pretensions and concessions without legal foundation will not set precedents which would jeopardize the hard-won peace and security of countries and nations in this part of Europe and the world.
At this time of the still-present world economic crisis, the Commission refers to its statement of June 3 of this year, and cautions that the progress of our Homeland – and thus of our economy – is not possible without respect for the moral principles that are contained in the social doctrine promulgated by the Church, and rests upon the responsibility of all for the common good, upon solidarity – particularly with the most vulnerable groups in society, subsidiarity – which means respecting the principles of non-interference in the various levels of management and operations, and respect for the dignity of each human being. The laws in the Republic of Croatia – and those who adopt them – should bear precisely these principles in mind if we ultimately want to place the society on a healthy footing and liberate ourselves from irresponsibility, greed and corruption.
“All of this is increasingly evident in water management, about which we have already cautioned, and to which we wish particularly to call public attention through our statement, Concern about Water Legislation, to be published tomorrow, which we consider to be very important and to which we expect an adequate reaction,” reads the statement issued from the session of the Justice and Peace Commission by the Press Office of the Croatian Conference of Bishops.