MONSIGNOR HUZJAK: PUPOVAC'S STATEMENT IS STRONGEST ACCUSATION AGAINST CHURCH

ZAGREB, March 26 (Hina) - The president of the Serb National Council (SNV), Milorad Pupovac, yesterday stated a serious lie about "a part of the Church" which he holds responsible for the "continuation of ethnic cleansing", a spokesman for the Croatian Bishops' Conference, Vjekoslav Huzjak, said on Tuesday. #L# In a press release ran by the IKA Catholic news agency, Huzjak said "such a qualification is the harshest accusation ever made against the Church in this region". At Monday's news conference, Pupovac commented on the settling of Croats from Bosnia in Croatia, in the context of which he said that some government officials and church representatives still wanted to implement the old settlement policy. The Church never dealt with "settlement policy", as Pupovac claims, let alone "ethnic cleansing," Huzjak asserted. The Church dismisses such lies with the deepest indignation, and with equal determination dismisses any connection with politics, whether it be the old or new one, he said. "Church representatives have always supported people in trouble, assisting them in various ways, and it will continue doing this. "The Church, however, is not doing this in agreement with any policy, but in loyalty to Evangelist principles," Huzjak said. (hina) lml