CATHOLIC BISHOPS CALL ON BELIEVERS TO FERVENTLY PRAY FOR CROATIA

ZAGREB, July 18 (Hina) - Croatian Roman Catholic dignitaries urged the faithful to offer more fervent prayers to God for their homeland and its dignity, peace and unity, the Croatian Catholic Bishops' Conference stated on Wednesday. On Tuesday bishops held an extra-ordinary session under the chairmanship of the Conference's president, Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic. According to the statement, the bishops decided that on August 5 this year - a national holiday called the Homeland's Thanksgiving Day' - masses should be served in all churches for Croatia. "At this critical moment for the Croatian people and the Republic of Croatia the bishops call on all believers to offer their prayers to Our Lady, Mother of Christ and the Queen of Peace, to give us a sign of hope and consolation just as she did in the difficult moments of our history," the statement read. The Conference entrusted its "Justitia et Pax" commission with a task to formulate and publish an appeal, based on the principles of the Christian ethics and the social tenets of the Church, about the current situation in the country. During their extra-ordinary session the bishops also considered a possibility of a pastoral visit of Holy Father John Paul II to Croatia, whose two previous visits to the country were the great encouragement both to the Church and people in Croatia. The latest issue of a Croatian weekly with the highest circulation 'Glas Koncila', published the editorial which reads that Croatia is now leaderless as the people are left to be led by a group of politicians, and this refers both to those in power and those that are the opposition, who are proving to be incompetent and irresponsible as well as not equal to the issues they should now solve such as the real problems with which Croatia is faced. The editorial headlined "Being Concerned About Croatia" asserts that it seems more and more evident that it was easier to establish the internationally recognised and independent Croatia than to arrange it so that it can be a fully democratic, socially sensitive and prosperous country, promoted in the world as a constructive member of the international community. According to the editorial in the 22 July issue, it is tragic that the vote for confidence in the current government was exclusively provoked by a political issue whereas crucial problems for the life of Croatian citizens were neglected. It is tragic that the government organised the test for its confidence in the Sabor only on the political issue and it is also tragic this motion in the parliament was in a way initiated by the opposition. Thus Croatia has again become the hostage of its own politicians who prove to be skilful masters of politicisation but too little responsible for the fateful issues of Croatian citizens. The weekly quoted bishops' statement of 13 July who then urged all the responsible factors to reach consensus on all the important issues for the Croatian people and for the country's prospects in this grave and delicate moment, and who appealed to "the Croatian Sabor, government and all the political parties to protect the Croatian people from a rift in the national corps and to preserve civil peace and unity so that the past may not recur." (hina) ms