Zagreb (IKA) – The archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, issued a decree on the canonic visitation of the Zagreb Archdiocesan Caritas, to begin on August 1 and be completed no later than the first Sunday of Advent, i.e. November 27, 2005.

Referring to the founding of the Zagreb Archdiocesan Caritas and all the good that this institution has achieved under the leadership of Jelena Brajša for the abandoned, helpless, sick and disenfranchised, Cardinal Bozanić emphasized in his decree that “at this moment of newly arisen circumstances and difficulties connected with Caritas, it is an urgent task to investigate matters thoroughly and responsibly undertake concrete initiatives in order for the Zagreb Caritas to better adapt its organization and activities to the new challenges and requirements.” Pursuant to Church regulations, the cardinal ordered canonic visitation. He appointed Auxiliary Bishop Valentin Pozaić of Zagreb as the visitor and the Most Rev. Boris Balenović, head of the Archdiocesan College Preparatory Secondary School (Gymnasium), as deputy visitor. The visitors shall form a special commission consisting of experts in this area. The visitors shall have comprehensive insight into the situation at Caritas: organization, employee structure, financial operations, archive documentation etc.

In Cardinal Bozanić’s decree, he urged all employees and personnel at Caritas to cooperate confidently with the visitors and their associates. According to the archbishop’s decree, during the period of the visitation the president and head of Caritas shall only perform their regular duties and shall not be permitted to introduce any changes whatsoever without the permission of the visitors. “At the conclusion of the visitation, the visitors shall submit an exhaustive report as well as prepare and propose amended bylaws for a new Caritas organizational structure. When the new bylaws go into effect, the current offices of the president and head of the Zagreb Caritas shall be terminated. In the future, these offices shall be filled for fixed mandates, as determined by the bylaws. The appointment of the president and head of Caritas pursuant to the amended bylaws shall complete the visitation of the Zagreb Caritas,” states the decree issued by the archbishop of Zagreb, which was published in its entirety by the Public Relations Office of the Zagreb Archbishop.