The ninth meeting of the Bishops of the Bishop’s Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BKBiH) with the Franciscan Provincials of Bosnia and Herzegovina was held on May 9th 2019. in the premises of the Archdiocese Seminary “Petar Barbarić” in Travnik. It was presided by the archbishop of Vrhbosna cardinal Vinko Puljić, the president of BK BiH.
After reviewing the last joint meeting held on April 25th 2018. in Sarajevo, bishops and provincials discussed the joint program for the sixth pastoral year of theological study and the proposal for a few-days-long annual meeting in the spirit of the permanent construction of priests at the level of BK BiH.
They also listened to an appropriate presentation on the two topics mentioned above, based on the documents of the Congregation for the Clergy, the Directorate of Service and Presbyter’s Life, and the Basic directive on Priesthood Education and upbringing. After the presentation of the initial formation of priestly candidates and the permanent construction of the priests, the need for joint work and co-operation was highlighted, including the organization of the pastoral year for the Holy Orders candidates and permanent priestly development.
Since both theologies and theological colleges in Sarajevo, where the diocesan and religious candidates for the holy order are preparing, at the beginning of this 2019/2020. academic year will have completed the process of Bologna’s reform of their programs, the need and the openness of organizing a joint program of the sixth year have been expressed. Such joint preparation would facilitate cooperation with future priests of dioceses and religious communities in BiH, who will most of the time act on a common pastoral area and be in a daily co-operation situation for the good of the believers.
Since there are also numerous monk priests working in the dioceses in BiH, bishops have pointed out that, with gratitude for everything they do on a pastoral plan, they want to respect the specialties of their spirituality and charisma, and to give them, their communities and their Provincials a permanent construction of the priests in to what is not directly related to the ministry.
Bishops and Franciscan Provincials also briefly shared their opinions about some current issues.
KT
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Sarajevo, 9. May 2019.
