Aid to the Church in Need: Bosnia-Herzegovina: 40 ambassadors for peace travelling to WYD

Bosnia-Herzegovina: 40 ambassadors for peace travelling to WYD

Posted by Project Description on 15/5/2008, 10:49 am
Message modified by board administrator 8/7/2008, 9:36 pm

Bosnia and Herzegovina
40 ambassadors for peace travelling to Sydney for World Youth Day

"The situation of the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina is critical", writes Cardinal Vinko Puljic to the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). "Of the 830,000 Catholics who lived here before the war in 1992 there are just 430,000 left in the country (around 15% of the total population). Our archdiocese of Sarajevo has lost more than half its faithful. Of the 528,000 who originally lived here just 213,000 are still living within the archdiocese. In the truest sense of the word, our Church is fighting for its survival."

During the communist era under Tito, the situation of the Church in the former Yugoslavia varied somewhat from republic to republic, yet nonetheless oppression and persecution were present everywhere.

When the republics of Slovenia and Croatia declared independence in 1991, and again in 1992, when Bosnia and Herzegovina did so, the Yugoslav army responded with military retaliation. The war that followed had particularly devastating consequences when it spread to Bosnia and Herzegovina. By August 1992 the Bosnian Serbs had seized control of some 70% of the territory and had begun a policy of systematic ethnic cleansing. In Sarajevo more than 20,000 people were killed, including over 1,600 children.

The Catholic Church also suffered greatly from the turmoil of war. Many thousands of Catholics fled abroad and they are now returning ever so slowly and tentatively to their homeland. Most of their churches and other Church properties have been destroyed. The Bosnian bishops have appealed again and again to the world and condemned the destruction and the ethnic cleansing. They have shown themselves true shepherds to their flock. Not a few priests, religious and lay faithful paid with their lives for their fidelity to the Christian faith.

Today, ACN is supporting the Catholic Church wherever possible, and we are also helping to rebuild the Catholic communities -- while at the same time supporting the vital apostolate among young people. Thus for example we are actively supporting the so-called "European Schools" programme, set up in 1994 by Bishop Pero Sudar of the diocese of Vrhbosna, in order to stem the exodus of Catholic Croats from the region by offering them the "principle of hope" and so helping them to work towards a future worth living for. Since then he has established a further seven school centres with 14 such schools in which 4,321 children are currently learning together - regardless of religious affiliation or nationality. For he believes that only a genuine togetherness can bring an end to a situation of what is at best silently tolerant coexistence between Christians and Muslims in the region.

Pictured are the youth from Bosnia-Herzegovina that travelled to WYD cologne in 2005

Equally vital is the need to give young Catholics a sense of belonging in the Church and at the same time helping them to feel that they are a part of the Universal Church. As a result, 40 young people aged between 18 and 30 will be travelling, as representatives for so many others, from the three dioceses of the country (20 from Mostar, 15 from Sarajevo and 5 from Banja Luka) to World Youth Day in Sydney. Given the distance and the high cost of travelling, fewer young people will be taking part this year and so the diocese of Sarajevo, for example, has plans to hold a youth day that will be linked to WYD and where they will likewise pray for the success of the journey and the Sydney meeting. Dr. Simo Marsic, the representative of the Bosnian bishops' conference for the youth apostolate, is expecting around 5,000 participants at this meeting during the last weekend of May.
Father Marsic and another priest from Banja Luka will also be accompanying the group of young people on the journey to Sydney.
Together with the youth centre in Sarajevo and in close collaboration with the Australian diocese of Broken Bay, that will be hosting them (for more info click on the link: http://www.wydbrokenbay.org.au/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=40), he is now planning three preparatory weekend meetings, to be held in each of the three dioceses.

At the same time he is constantly on the search for sponsors. The total cost of $3,200 per head for travel board and lodging is beyond the reach of almost all of these young people, given the catastrophic economic situation in the country -- where the average adult monthly salary is just $230 and pensions are on average no more than $130. (Not surprisingly, with unemployment running at anything between 40 and 60%, young people with no professional experience stand little chance of finding work).
Already they are working hard, collecting donations in the parishes. The Croatian mission in Australia has also promised to help. In Sydney, meetings are planned with young Croats from all over Australia and also with other groups from the United States. This exchange will be an important experience for both sides and a chance to share their common roots, despite the very different worlds they are living in at present.

It is hoped that these young people will then be able to return home, bringing with them a new perspective on life and a renewed motivation to share with their home parishes. They will also be able to share with others what they have witnessed and experienced, via Catholic newspapers and web sites. Father Marsic has already accompanied one group of young people to World Youth Day in Cologne and he knows just how important and effective such follow-up publicity work can be.

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has made it possible for these young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina to enjoy this amazing experience. The charity has helped fund the Bosnian youth delegation to WYD 2008 with a grant of $11,500.

For further information please contact the Sydney office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. Web:www.aidtochurch.org

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Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148 ABN: 62 418 911 594
Ph/Fax (02) 9679-1929 e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org web: www.aidtochurch.org