RELIGIOUS LEADERS EXCHANGE LETTERS ON DERVENTA INCIDENT

( Editorial: --> 1507 ) ZAGREB/SARAJEVO, May 4 (Hina) - The Archbishop of Sarajevo, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, and the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Pavle, have exchanged letters on the recent attack on Catholic believers and priests in Derventa on April 23, the Catholic Press Agency of the Bishops' Conference of Bosnia- Herzegovina reported on Monday. Despite prior announcements and visit permits, priests and a small group of believers who visited Derventa on April 23, the Day of Saint George, were trapped and maltreated for six hours, Cardinal Puljic said in his letter. No one from the Serbian Orthodox church had offered a single word of solidarity nor spoken publicly about the incident, Puljic added. Patriarch Pavle expressed regret over the incident calling on Cardinal Puljic to join him in praying for the "healing of war wounds". (hina) rm /mb 042055 MET may 98