BOZANIC: CHURCH WANTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO RECONCILIATION IN CROATIA

ZAGREB, May 30 (Hina) - "We share concern for the circumstance in the homeland, but we always encourage and support hope based on the faith in God who guarantees that nothing will be lost what has been done from love," the Croatian Roman Catholic Primate, Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic, said in his sermon during a solemn mass held in the St Mark Church in Zagreb on the occasion of the Statehood Day. In the overcrowded church, Bozanic said at the beginning of the service that they were celebrating "a Mass for the Homeland, expressing their respects to all who join us in the service." In this context he mentioned top officials - President Stjepan Mesic, Premier Ivica Racan, Sabor Speaker Zlatko Tomcic - and other senior officials who attended the service. Wishing the best for today's national holiday - Statehood Day - Bozanic said they were praying God to give gifts of prudence and scrupulousness to people in power and instil citizens with a sense of responsibility and diligence so that they can together accomplish "harmony, fairness, peace and progress." Expressing concern over the circumstances in the country, the Archbishop appealed for mutual respect, cooperation for the common cause and joint prosperity. "Our beautiful country is not so big and our people is not so numerous that we can afford unsound divisions, narrow-minded rivalry and the radicalisation of social and political scenes," he said. "Although it is not our duty to judge about the latest local elections it seems to us that they demonstrate the citizens' will to see cooperation of different political groups," the Catholic dignitary said. Bozanic cautioned that it would be neither wise nor sound that any of them (political groups) believe that it has sufficient people, enough knowledge and means to be able run all the activities on its own without doing its job in concert with others. "There is no true democracy without democratic conduct, and this means that one should know how to recognise others... develop dialogue and sense for compromise, give priority to common sense over passion as well as to remove violence and lies," he added. Commenting on the role of the Church in the social circumstances, Bozanic said the Church did not want to be included into concrete political options of parties but "we would like to cooperate, in our own way, with all whom citizens entrust, in a democratic manner, with the task for caring for the general common, promoting prosperity of individuals, the Croatian people and all citizens of our homeland." "In this form we would like to give a particular contribution to the much needed process of reconciliation and recovery of trust among Croatian citizens," he added. Thinking about Croats abroad, Zagreb Archbishop said that during his recent visit to Canadian and American Croats he had seen how much they loved Croatia. "I heard many questions and I must say that they have an impression that ties between Croatia's authorities and the Croatian Diaspora have weakened. They point to it with regret," Bozanic warned adding that on the path which Croatia has taken to approach European integration processes, and which the Holy See supports, Croatia's emigrants could be the most efficient and sincere assistance in Croatia's bids to come closer to international structures. (hina) ms