ZAGREB, March 16 (Hina) - At a news conference held by the Zagreb-Ljubljana Metropolitan Jovan Pavlovic in Zagreb on Tuesday, reporters were given copies of "The Message of His Holiness, the Serb Patriarch Pavle, to the Serb-Orthodox
People in the Republic of Croatia". Patriarch Pavle said that "a wish for better, new, more tolerant coexistence" had prevailed in his meetings with the faithful and representatives of the Serb people in the Croatian authorities as well as with representatives of the Catholic Church and the President of the Republic of Croatia. "There is no dilemma as regards (their) determination to respect the Croatian Constitution and laws, relationship towards the Homeland, and civilised integration into Croatian society, as well as (their) contribution to Croatia's taking the place it deserves in European and international integration processes", the message read. Addressed in t
ZAGREB, March 16 (Hina) - At a news conference held by the Zagreb-
Ljubljana Metropolitan Jovan Pavlovic in Zagreb on Tuesday,
reporters were given copies of "The Message of His Holiness, the
Serb Patriarch Pavle, to the Serb-Orthodox People in the Republic
of Croatia".
Patriarch Pavle said that "a wish for better, new, more tolerant
coexistence" had prevailed in his meetings with the faithful and
representatives of the Serb people in the Croatian authorities as
well as with representatives of the Catholic Church and the
President of the Republic of Croatia.
"There is no dilemma as regards (their) determination to respect
the Croatian Constitution and laws, relationship towards the
Homeland, and civilised integration into Croatian society, as well
as (their) contribution to Croatia's taking the place it deserves
in European and international integration processes", the message
read.
Addressed in the message were also problems such as the still slow
return of Orthodox bishops and priests; the continued departure of
Serbs from eastern Slavonia, "which is certainly the result of
economic, but recently also by security circumstances".
The Patriarch also warned about the stalled implementation of
otherwise good return programmes, through "deliberately set up
bureaucratic obstacles". He also warned about the lack of respect
for the right to property and the slow reconstruction of destroyed
houses.
The head of the Serb Orthodox Church believes it is necessary to
secure "full constitutional equality in exercising human rights,
as well as participation in political and public life without any
ethnic discrimination. Here I mean foremost the right to vote of
every Croatian citizen of Serb decent, displaced throughout the
former Yugoslavia".
The Patriarch also stressed the importance of full establishment of
Serb institutions within the Serb ethnic community. Those
institutions are "a precondition for the survival and development
of our community", and Croatian authority "will have to be even more
understanding" of their work.
At the end of his message, the Patriarch said: "Your are an
autochtonous nation, present in this country for centuries,
determined to live here, stay here and survive. Participate in
building this country, in building yourselves... the Croat people
endured great suffering in this war, but so did the Serb people.
Many members of our people participated in it. It is individuals who
have to answer for crimes and not whole nations. There were victims
on both sides".
(hina) jn rml