ZAGREB, Nov 8 (Hina) - The Croatian Military Ordinariate's general vicar, Msgr. Josip Santic, on Thursday forwarded a letter to the US State Department with objections to the section of its 2001 Report on Religious Freedom referring
to Croatia. The Ordinariate was surprised that the report deals with the activities of military chaplains in Croatia without the Ordinariate having been contacted even once for basic information or additional explanation. "We consider such conduct at the very least inconsistent with the proclaimed democratic stands of the State Department," reads the letter. Santic recalls that the State Department indirectly refers on two occasions to spiritual guidance in the Croatian army, which is within the jurisdiction of the Military Ordinariate, which was founded by the Holy See in 1997 in line with an agreement with the Croatian Government. The second part of the repo
ZAGREB, Nov 8 (Hina) - The Croatian Military Ordinariate's general
vicar, Msgr. Josip Santic, on Thursday forwarded a letter to the US
State Department with objections to the section of its 2001 Report
on Religious Freedom referring to Croatia.
The Ordinariate was surprised that the report deals with the
activities of military chaplains in Croatia without the
Ordinariate having been contacted even once for basic information
or additional explanation.
"We consider such conduct at the very least inconsistent with the
proclaimed democratic stands of the State Department," reads the
letter.
Santic recalls that the State Department indirectly refers on two
occasions to spiritual guidance in the Croatian army, which is
within the jurisdiction of the Military Ordinariate, which was
founded by the Holy See in 1997 in line with an agreement with the
Croatian Government.
The second part of the report, which deals with the restriction of
religious freedom, reads that the Ministry of Defence employs 20
Catholic priests to take care of Catholics serving in the army but
that Orthodox and Muslim priests are denied such an opportunity,
says the letter.
The truth is that the agreement between the Holy See and the
Croatian Government envisages 27 priests for pastoral service in
the Croatian Armed Forces and two more in the Interior Ministry,
says Santic. He maintains the State Department could definitely
obtain information at the US Department of Defense and the Military
Ordinariate, as well as the defence ministries of other countries
which have military ordinariates, on how many soldiers of a
religious community are required for a priest to be appointed for
them.
"Based solely on these data, and on condition a religious community
has signed a contract with the respective state regulating its
activities, it is possible to judge the authenticity of any report
on religious freedom in a country's armed forces," says Santic.
Commenting on the statement that "A Catholic priest is present and
gives a blessing at the oath-giving ceremony upon entering the
army" whereas other priests are not allowed to attend, Msgr. Santic
says the Rule Book on the Organisation and Operation of the Croatian
Military Ordinariate clearly regulates that the religious service
for Catholic soldiers during the oath-taking ceremony is held at an
appropriate place and on days before the oath-taking ceremony, as
well as that the military chaplain informs Catholic soldiers about
the meaning of the oath from the religious point of view but does not
perform any religious service during the oath-taking.
We claim that our priests respect this regulation and that this
Military Ordinariate has never received any complaints about any
violations of the Rule Book, Santic says.
(hina) rml