BISHOP OF BANJA LUKA SENDS OPEN LETTER TO BILJANA PLAVSIC

( Editorial: --> 5180 ) BANJA LUKA, Aug 21 (Hina) - The Bishop of Banja Luka, Msgr. Franjo Komarica, on Friday sent an open letter to the president of Republika Srpska, Biljana Plavsic, protesting about the repeated endangering of the lives and property of members of the Catholic Church in Ivanjska (near Banja Luka) and Zabrdje (near Kotor Varos). Recalling that mass was forcefully prevented from taking place in Ivanjska on occasion of Assumption Day, while the mass had been dutifully announced to the local police, Komarica stressed that several persons had endangered the faithful, obviously stimulated by those who are bothered by prayer and free religion. There had been no great consequences thanks to the good sense of the priest and people, as well as a SFOR intervention. However, what confuses and saddens is the passiveness of the local police. Komarica said great damage had been caused to St. Leopold - Bogdan church by an explosion on August 16. The two most recent armed attacks on the remaining Catholics in Bosnia-Herzegovina's Serb republic was only a sequel to a number of such cases in the past two months. The faithful are justly posing the question - how to protect the property and lives of displaced persons who want to return, when this is how those who had managed to stay in their home town are being treated, Komarica said. In both cases, the local police could know who organised these incidents. "You will undoubtedly agree when I say that these incidents are surely not in accordance of the spirit of promises you gave to me a month ago," Komarica said in his letter. He asked Plavsic to do everything to protect the lives and property of peace-loving co-residents, members of the Catholic Church. (hina) lml 212217 MET aug 98