MARIJA BISTRICA SHRINE MARIJA BISTRICA, Oct 8 (Hina) - "The truth will set us free!" - that is why one should repeat the truth that the Catholic Church in Croatia had from the beginning of the aggression and during the Homeland War
urged all to refrain from any acts of revenge or anything that would exceed the necessary defence," said military ordinary Juraj Jezerinac at a eucharistic ceremony, the central event of the Military Diocese's eucharistic congress and the eighth pilgrimage of military and police forces to the national shrine of Marija Bistrica on Sunday. "One should say with pride that during the difficult war years, even if individual acts of revenge and exceeding of the necessary defence had occurred, neither the Croat people nor the Croatian army had allowed to be collectively misled by hatred or revenge. This was possible only because the Croat people listened to its Church and the Holy Father,
MILITARY ORDINARY ADDRESSES MILITARY, POLICE AT MARIJA BISTRICA SHRINE
MARIJA BISTRICA, Oct 8 (Hina) - "The truth will set us free!" - that
is why one should repeat the truth that the Catholic Church in
Croatia had from the beginning of the aggression and during the
Homeland War urged all to refrain from any acts of revenge or
anything that would exceed the necessary defence," said military
ordinary Juraj Jezerinac at a eucharistic ceremony, the central
event of the Military Diocese's eucharistic congress and the eighth
pilgrimage of military and police forces to the national shrine of
Marija Bistrica on Sunday.
"One should say with pride that during the difficult war years, even
if individual acts of revenge and exceeding of the necessary
defence had occurred, neither the Croat people nor the Croatian
army had allowed to be collectively misled by hatred or revenge.
This was possible only because the Croat people listened to its
Church and the Holy Father, who tirelessly urged peace, forgiveness
and the heroic act of love," said Jezerinac.
Today's ceremony in Marija Bistrica started with the muster of all
Croatian army and police units in front of the altar of the Church of
Blessed Alojzije Stepinac in the open. The military and police were
greeted by Deputy Defence Minister Zoran Batusic and Assistant
Interior Minister Vladimir Faber.
The Church must bear witness to the truth about the aspirations of
the Croat people and its history. It is a truth that in that history,
the Homeland War was the expression of the will of the Croat people
to defend and protect Croatia as its own state, in which Croats and
all other citizens would be able to develop their potential for a
better and safer future. In that war, the Croatian army was
established as an organised armed form of that wish for freedom.
That Croatian army beat the adversary who tried to take that freedom
away, Jezerinac said.
Commenting on events in the Croatian society and state, Jezerinac
said, "the Church won't allow its being politically
instrumentalised and manipulated nor will it side with any party.
It is therefore called on and free to bear witness to the truth," he
said. The September 22 message by Croatian bishops, forwarded from
a conference in Porec, should have stated clearly that freedom had
been defended thanks to Croatia's courageous soldiers and
political leadership. "That is a historical fact. If this is
negated or criminalised, the historical truth is negated and the
Croat people and all those who defended the Homeland are
criminalised," Jezerinac said.
The eucharistic ceremony ended with a procession on the central
square in front of the shrine. Attending the event along with
numerous priests and bishops were retired Zagreb archbishop
Cardinal Franjo Kuharic, papal nuncio Giulio Einaudi, Zagreb
Archbishop Josip Bozanic's envoy, delegations of Italian, Austrian
and German military dioceses and Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic.
(hina) rml