Believing in a divided Country

Many homes in Sarajevo still bear the signs of bullets shot during the fratricidal war that shed blood across Bosnia-Herzegovina twenty years ago. There are also spectral graveyards- scattered here and there on the slopes of the mountains surrounding the city center, with hundreds of funeral memorials in remembrance of the victims. Thus stands the “martyr-city” that hosted the Congress of CCEE (Council of European Bishops’ Conferences) on teacher’s religious formation in Europe. The choice of Sarajevo as the venue of the meeting was not accidental. For nearly two decades a system of “Schools for Europe” has been operative in Bosnia, following an initiative by the Catholic community: a successful attempt to reopen the dialogue between the ethnic and religions groups (Orthodox, Muslim and Catholic) that had fought against each other. To understand the current situation of the Balkan country, Luigi Crimella, for Sir Europe, interviewed Bishop Pero Sudar, Auxiliary Bishop of Sarajevo, responsible for Catholic schools. Mons. Sudar, what is the current situation in your Country? “The State in which Bosnia-Herzegovina is located, due to an unfair territorial partition, is markedly artificial from the political angle and subsequently, from all the other points of view. A horrible war, caused by communist-style imperialism and built with the ardour of the historical grievances of the poor people, ended with an unliveable peace because it is inspired and imposed, once again, to satisfy interests that have nothing to do with the good of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina”. Your words convey a very pessimistic outlook. Is that so? “Partly it is. Unfortunately, twenty years after the war, many people see the Country as a dying society, a State with no perspectives. And those who can, try to flee. Even the Catholic community has its difficulties, having ranged from hope to fear for the past twenty-five years. Let it suffice to recall that in five centuries the number of Catholics in this land fell from 90 to 18% today. And in the last war the remaining 50% died”. How did the war affect the Catholic community? “The past war, that escalated into a veritable genocide, marked by so-called ‘ethnic cleansing’, had devastating consequences. The 740.726 self-declared Catholics under Communist rule in 1991 dropped to 432.177. Figures decrease by 2 thousand per year, as confirmed by our statistical offices. 67% of Catholics were kicked out of their homes, an enormous number. In four dioceses were destroyed 269 places or worship, 313 were seriously damaged, and 418 damaged. On the whole, approximately one thousand churches were devastated. Nonetheless, encouraged by the Pope’s messages, the Church in Bosnia Herzegovina tried to address evil and destruction. With numerous appeals it always sought to condemn the crimes and encourage positive attempts. I wish to convey my gratitude to the Churches of Europe because through the actions of their humanitarian institutions they supported us and enabled us to give credibility to our desire of dialogue and peace”. Card. Vinko Pulic, archbishop of the city, recently spoke of a disappearing Catholic Church. How do you react to such a difficult situation? “I must say that always, even during the war, the Church never responded with closure. Her response was to serve peace through service to others, to young people in particular, with the establishment of churches for Europe. To serve peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina coincides with openness and with the ability to help people live and let others live in peace in the belief that the young generations could be educated in the spirit of coexistence in schools where it would become part of their concrete experience”. How did you conceive these schools? “The Schools for Europe were set up during the war as interethnic and inter-religious schools, for the promotion of peace and inclusion through education to peaceful coexistence. We believe that peace and coexistence are an illusion if they are not supported and fuelled by the respect for the identity of each and every person, which is the founding pillar of human rights. To love others like we love ourselves means to act first, acknowledging all aspects of their identity. Jesus Christ has taught us and empowered us to ‘conquer’ only with love. Thus the Catholic contribution of our schools consists in bearing witness to the Gospel through the Christian love of our school principals and teachers”.