SARAJEVO, July 12 (Hina) - Sarajevo Archbishop, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, on Wednesday received the head of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for Europe, Barbara Myers. Expressing dissatisfaction with poor efficiency of this
organisation as regards its efforts for the help to peoples in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cardinal Puljic asserted that Catholics in this country had received insufficient support, particularly in exercise of their right to come back to their homes after the war, the Bosnian Catholic agency (KTA) reported today. "An impression has been created that the international community ignores Bosnian Catholics and even non-governmental organisations (NGOs)," the Roman Catholic dignitary said viewing it as unacceptable. "We do not seek benefits for us, nor do we ask assistance in the construction of churches, but , please, do help us construct family houses so that people
SARAJEVO, July 12 (Hina) - Sarajevo Archbishop, Cardinal Vinko
Puljic, on Wednesday received the head of the Catholic Relief
Services (CRS) for Europe, Barbara Myers.
Expressing dissatisfaction with poor efficiency of this
organisation as regards its efforts for the help to peoples in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cardinal Puljic asserted that Catholics in
this country had received insufficient support, particularly in
exercise of their right to come back to their homes after the war,
the Bosnian Catholic agency (KTA) reported today.
"An impression has been created that the international community
ignores Bosnian Catholics and even non-governmental organisations
(NGOs)," the Roman Catholic dignitary said viewing it as
unacceptable.
"We do not seek benefits for us, nor do we ask assistance in the
construction of churches, but , please, do help us construct family
houses so that people can return to their homes," Puljic pleaded and
added that he was expecting from the CRS and UNHCR to make concrete
steps in this direction.
The CRS head Myers said this what she heard at the meeting with
Puljic was new for her, but explained that this Catholic
association would like to co-operate with official authorities,
but it often turned against people and individuals in distress.
Prior to the war the three Bosnian dioceses had 820,000 Catholics,
and now only between 450,000 and 500,000 are living there. During
the war about 600 Catholic churches were ravaged.
On Wednesday, Cardinal Puljic received the co-ordinator for the
Dayton agreement's implementation, Robert Mason Beecroft, who
described the progress in Bosnia as slow but visible.
Cardinal Puljic notified Beecroft of preparations for concluding a
treaty between Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Holy See on the legal
status of the Church, chaplains in army forces, education and
church property.
Puljic particularly asked for help in the return process and
assessed some international officials' claims that Croats do not
want to come back to their homes in Bosnia as malicious. Such
statements are made, although, for instance, nobody from the UNHCR
has requested a meeting with me for four years, the Cardinal added.
(hina) ms