MOSTAR, Feb 28 (Hina) - The Bishops' Conference of Bosnia-Herzegovina elected Banja Luka bishop Franjo Komarica its president at a session held in Mostar on Thursday. Komarica was elected for a mandate of three years, read a statement
issued after the three-day session. Komarica succeeds the head of the Bosnian Catholic Church, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, who held the post for six years. The Bishops' Conference of Bosnia-Herzegovina was established after the dissolution of the former Yugoslav Bishops' Conference, and consists of the Bosnian archdiocese and three dioceses: Banja Luka, Mostar-Duvno and Trebinje. This is the first time since the establishment of the Conference that its leadership has changed. In his first statement as the head of the Bosnian Bishops' Conference, Komarica warned about the dramatic position of Catholics in the Bosnian Serb entity. According to church data, around 200,000 Croats-C
MOSTAR, Feb 28 (Hina) - The Bishops' Conference of Bosnia-
Herzegovina elected Banja Luka bishop Franjo Komarica its
president at a session held in Mostar on Thursday. Komarica was
elected for a mandate of three years, read a statement issued after
the three-day session.
Komarica succeeds the head of the Bosnian Catholic Church, Cardinal
Vinko Puljic, who held the post for six years.
The Bishops' Conference of Bosnia-Herzegovina was established
after the dissolution of the former Yugoslav Bishops' Conference,
and consists of the Bosnian archdiocese and three dioceses: Banja
Luka, Mostar-Duvno and Trebinje. This is the first time since the
establishment of the Conference that its leadership has changed.
In his first statement as the head of the Bosnian Bishops'
Conference, Komarica warned about the dramatic position of
Catholics in the Bosnian Serb entity.
According to church data, around 200,000 Croats-Catholics were
expelled from their homes in Republika Srpska during the war and
only several thousand have returned.
The Catholic Church in Bosnia expects the upcoming constitutional
changes in the country would encourage the return of Croats to their
homes in the Bosnian Serb entity and improve the negative
demographic standing of Bosnian Croats in general.
(hina) sb rml