ZUBAK WRITES TO APOSTOLIC NUNCIO IN BOSNIA

MOSTAR, April 3 (Hina) - President of the Herzeg-Bosnia presidential council, Kresimir Zubak, today sent a letter to Apostolic Nuncio in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Msgr. Francesco Monterisi, asking him to exert his influence and authority as to overcome problems which cropped up recently following the decisions on carrying out priests' services in Mostar parishes. The Bishop of Mostar Diocese, Msgr. Ratko Peric, decided that friars should leave the parishes in Mostar, and diocesan priests assume those offices. Being indignant at such a decision several hundreds of Mostar citizens, mostly women, staged a protest rally in front of the Bishop's residence on Sunday afternoon. The Herzeg-Bosnian interior ministry reported today that the demonstrators demanded to be received by Bishop Peric. Since their demand was not fulfilled, they took Bishop Peric out of the residence and drove him to the Mostar suburb of Cim in order that he would address them there. In the letter to Nuncio Monterisi Zubak said that a few days before several Bosnian Croat senior officials had visited Bishop Peric and the head of the Herzegovinian friars, Friar Tomislav Pervan, and handed them a letter which asked them to take measures aimed at overcoming problems that had cropped up after the decision on the priests' services in the Mostar area. Unfortunately, the officials' sincere efforts did not yield positive results, Zubak said adding that the situation was becoming more complicated, assuming political dimensions, which he described as bad developments. The recent developments had a germ of dissension and conflict with possible tragic consequences in the times of "grave plight' for the Croatian people in Bosnia-Herzegovina who relied for their spiritual union on the Roman Catholic Church for ages, Zubak said. (hina) jn rm mms 032201 MET apr 95