BOOK "VICTIMS AND MARTYRS" BY FATHER KARAULA PRESENTED IN ZAGREB

ZAGREB, Nov 1 (Hina) - A book "Victims and Martyrs" by Father Marijan Karaula was presented on Thursday at the Croatian Cultural Society in Zagreb. The book is a result of research about the suffering of Bosnian Franciscans during World War II and the communist rule. The first part of the book speaks about the martyrs and witnesses of religion in the Franciscan province of Bosna Srebrena during World War II and subsequent to it. In the foreword, the author stressed he stopped at the number of 65 priests, monks-non-priests, students and pupils who were killed or died from typhoid. The second part of the book speaks about a significant number of those who had suffered for their religion, but remained alive. Historian Marko Babic said that the author had, with this book, joined in the literature and bibliography about the suffering of the Croat Church, and recalled such subjects were until recently not allowed to be spoken or written about. Professor at the Zagreb Faculty of Philosophy Ivo Pranjkovic said that in the region of the former Yugoslavia more than 600 priests, monks and nuns had been killed. The author said it was significant that the book was being presented at a time when the world is marking the tenth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. He added that his book was a "monument to the innocent victims". Father Marijan Karaula was born in the village of Ljubuncic near Livno (south-west Bosnia-Herzegovina) in 1954. He graduated from the faculty of theology in Sarajevo. He became a priest in 1982. The presentation of the book was organised by the Croatian cultural society "Napredak". (hina) lml