At the end of the 20th regular annual session of the Bishops’ Conferences of BiH (BKBiH) and Croatia (HBK), held on March 14th in Sarajevo, the public was informed through the official announcement about the content of what the bishops discussed.
The session was held at the Archdiocese Residence in Sarajevo under the presidency of the Archbishop of Vrhbosna, cardinal Vinko Puljić, the president of BK BiH, and Archbishop of Zadar Msgr. Želimir Puljić, president of HBK. In the work of the session there were 24 members of the two Bishop’s Conferences who participated, while three excused themselves. Apostolic Nuncio in BiH archbishop Luigi Pezzuto participated in the introductory part of the session and in his address, he stressed the importance of meeting of the two Bishops’ Conferences during which, they contemplate the lived reality of mutual unity and the ways of deeper connection.
The Bishops listened to the annual report on the work of the Council of HBK and the BK BiH for the Croatian Foreign Ministry and the Directorate of Chaplaincy for Croats abroad. They were acquainted with: personal and current issues in Croatian parishes and missions; the financial standing of the Solidarity Fund and the 2017. events and 2018. plans, as well as some opened issues and challenges. They expressed gratitude to the members of this Council and the workers of the Chaplaincy, and especially to all priests, deacons, nuns and pastoral associates in Croatian parishes and missions around the world. On this occasion as well, they encouraged all Croat Catholics who left the Republic of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries where Croats are indigenous people, to connect with the Catholic Church where they live and to actively engage in Croatian parishes and missions. They also encourage authorities in the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to create conditions for staying, especially young people, but also to help all those who would like to return to the Republic of Croatia or BiH.
From the report about the official visit to the Pontifical Croatian Institute of St. Jerome in Rome, the bishops are acquainted with the situation and the news and changes in this institution and the work of the Supervisory Board, as well as on the number of students in the current academic year that are studying at ten Roman ecclesiastical colleges and universities, and are coming from 5 Dioceses of the Church in the Croatian people. They also chose the current vicerector, venerable Marko Đurin, for a new mandate and joyfully accepted the report about the positive atmosphere of the Institute, which is of special importance for the Church with the Croatian people. In the report on the implementation of the action Solidarity Week with the Church and People in BiH under the motto The love of most will not grow cold (inspired from Matthew 24:12), bishops are informed about the good cooperation between the Croatian Caritas and the Caritas of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thanks to the mentioned action, numerous charitable projects have been co-funded in diocesan communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina through which it is helped to old and week people, children and young people in need.
The bishops were also acquainted with the fact, that at the same time in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a charitable action was held under the name Sunday Solidarity. They thanked to all those who, with their prayers, contributions and charitable ventures, show an open heart to the people in need. Special attention was paid to the difficult situation in Catholic parish communities where people were forced to leave during the war, and there are now a small number of believers living there. Aware of the need to do all they can, to help survival, staying and return, especially to such parishes, bishops encourage all people in power to take greater action in correcting injustice, and to provide these people with concrete help in creating conditions for a dignified life of people.
On the agenda of the session was also the annual report on the work of the Commissions of HBK and BK BiH, for Croatian Martirology, which aims to help revealing the difficult past, with the primary purpose of providing as much detailed collection of information as possible about the potential victims of hate “towards faith” (in odium fidei) for whom there is a possibility of elevating in honour of the altar. The bishops expressed gratitude to the diocesan commissioners and other members of the Commission for their work.
Aware that the priestly formation is decisive for the mission of the Church, the bishops were acquainted with the need to update the Basic directive on priestly education and training for the two Bishops’ Conferences in line with the new document Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis. They supported the continuation of the program for the three-year permanent formation of diocesan and religious educators through the cooperation of the HBK Council for Seminaries and Spiritual vocations and the Council for the theological and the council for Small Seminaries of BKBiH. The bishops were acquainted with the flow of preparation for the Third National Meeting of Croatian Catholic families, which will take place in Split and Solin on September 15th and 16th, 2018 under the motto Family – a source of life and joy.
The bishops thought about the best ways of co-operation between HBK and BKBiH on the liturgical plan in the spirit of the Apostolic Letter in the form of the motto proprie of pope Francis Magnum Principium, where it is stated that “in the bishops’ conferences in which the same language is spoken it is a must to guarantee and faithfully preserve the meaning of the original text of translated worship books” and that it is always to “reflect the unity of the Roman ritual”.
