Justice for Croat refugees being ‘trampled underfoot,’ Bosnian bishop reveals
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Bishop Franjo Komarica

Konigstein, Germany, Nov 5, 2008 / 03:19 am (CNA).- A Catholic bishop from Bosnia and Herzegovina has protested that neither the Bosnian government nor the international community is doing anything to enable Catholic Croat refugees to return to their homes some thirteen years after the end of the civil war in the former Yugoslavia.

Bishop Franjo Komarica of Banja Luka recently visited the headquarters of the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Germany. He said he and his priests had expected that the government and the international community would take steps to restore damaged infrastructure, but he fears the government does not seem to regard itself as responsible for the Catholics.

In the bishop’s view, the government appears to take the position that Catholics are the concern of the bishop, though Bishop Komarica pointed out that it is not the task of the Church to build homes, provide running water and repair roads.

According to the bishop, perhaps two percent of the Catholics who fled the area have returned. He added there was no discernable political will to implement the public declarations that Catholic Croats could return to their homes.

“Our appeals, pleas and protests have gone unheard", said Bishop Komarica. "Justice in this case is being trampled underfoot! Why do human rights apply in Germany, France and the USA, for example, but not to us in Bosnia?"

The bishop explained that the Catholic Church wishes to make a “fruitful contribution to the future of this country,” but he added: “in order to do so we must first be able to live here.”

Bishop Komarica told ACN that he will not tire of speaking out for all those disenfranchised.

The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina raged from 1992 to 1995 following the collapse of Yugoslavia. More than 243,000 people died in the conflict and two million were driven from their homes.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: Dino
NYC 11/19/2008 04:40 PM EST
The church needs to do more to protect the Croats. We as catholics need to stop being so PC and protect our own.
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Published by: elvis
nashville/tn/usa 11/13/2008 07:49 AM EST
Who is talking about aid.I was talking about names for catolic people in bosnia. If they are born in bosnia then they sould call tham selfs bosnian catolics. If they are born n croatia than they are bosnian/croatians. That's so easy. So by that I am saying people who are born in bosnia and call them self bosnan croats they need to realize that ther are stupid and don't need to live in bosniia than. And speaking of aid for moslems yes its truth moslems get more aid but aid comes from our God and god sends angels to help people whether you are mmoslem or anything it does not matter .God will repay the people who do good work and yu sould b ashamed off even being jelous of people helping people.
Pope the 2nd loved everyone so take his advice by helping out everyone. If I where you now I would go outside and ask God for forgivness and go and make some food and give to the poor. Don't give mone just food . By elvis who loves everyone I tell you one think if I could ill be pope the 3rd and I would step in same steps pope the 2nd
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Published by: H.J. D"cruz
Karachi Pakistan 11/10/2008 03:58 AM EST
Chirstian aid organistiations including catholic aid organsiation do more to rescue muslims in difficulty and humanitarian aid without prejudice. But this is not the case with muslim organisations. They have to change their outlook of hostility. discrimination on creed or race.
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Published by: Marcella Carmen
Birmingham West Midlands UK 11/06/2008 01:14 PM EST
Muslims in Britain do not change their ethnic identity. They call themselves Pakistani/or Sikh/or Chinese/or Indian/or Nigerian - Britons!!! So why do Bosnian muslims persecute non Bosnian citizens? The British Government builds houses, roads, hospitals for Scottish Britons or Welsh Britons, or Chinese Britons, and the Bosnian Government should do the same for ALL its citizens or else it will not be respected outside Bosnia in the free world.
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Published by: elvis
nashville/tn/usa 11/05/2008 08:28 AM EST
It is truth churc souldnt build homes and roads and it is also not bosnain country to build houses for bosnian croats why I am saying this is because they need to stay in croatien if they want to be called croats bosnia is supossed to build bosnian catolicts houuses because they are refugges not croats croats has his own country so they sould take ccare of tham bosinan need to take care of tham people and the bishop need to b quet and learn the differenc betwen croats and bosnian and catolics
And 2nd reason bosnian catolics like other countrys and they wanna stay there just lie others moslem and serbs
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