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CURCATHOLIC CHURCH IN BANJA LUKA
THE PASTORAL VISIT OF POPE JOHN PAUL II 22 JUNE
2003 Holy Father,
successor of the first Apostle and high-priest John Paul II! Is this really
true and not just some kind of dream, that you are personally present here
today amongst us in Banja Luka? Yes its true! Glory and thanksgiving to the
Good Lord! “You have With the same Biblical words, full of hope and particularly grateful, I rejoice in greeting you, the Peter of our times, John Paul II, the Great, especially dear and honourable! You have done well in listening to God’s inspiration and in coming again to visit us, in this dear land of ours and yours – Bosnia-Hercegovina, in this Metropolitan See of Vrhbosna, in this my home diocese of Banja Luka, which you – through Providence – entrusted to me to administer 14 years ago. On behalf of our Metropolitan, Cardinal Vinko Puljić, our brother bishops and priests, men and women religious, and all lay faithful of the Roman and Greek-Catholic Ukrainian rites, as well as many people of good will from the territory of this diocese and country, I wish to express my warmest welcome. Welcome, head pastor of the Universal Church, God’s prophet of our times, the greatest peacemaker of the modern world, tireless defender of God’s honour and human dignity! All those gathered with us today from various areas of our homeland express their joyful welcome: our brothers in the episcopate, priests and other pilgrims from various European countries, especially from neighbouring Croatia. At this unique celebration our honourable neighbours are present: the representatives of other religious communities in our country; representatives of the civil authorities of the country, entities, districts, the city of Banja Luka, many municipalities, various cultural institutions, and representatives of the international community in Bosnia-Hercegovina. Representatives of our benefactors from many European and North American countries are present as well, to whom we wish to express our heartfelt thanks for the generous aid they have provided so far and we fervently hope they will continue to be close to us. Holy Father, your comforting fatherly words, which you have spoken many times in these last ten years of our dreadful tragedy have been permanently fixed upon our memory: “You are not alone. We are with you. We will be with you even more!” The truthfulness of these words is testified by this second pastoral visit of yours in only seven years to our local Church and homeland, where the deep and painful wounds of the recent war imposed upon us have been unfortunately healing very slowly and unjustly. This time you have come to your centre of Banja Luka, to the territory of the Catholic Church which has been present here from the times of the first centuries of Christianity, and which during its long and arduous history has shared the destiny of the neighbouring dioceses: Baloe, Siscia, Salona, Nin, Split, Knin, Vrhbosna and especially Zagreb to which this diocese belonged for more than six centuries. By the decision of your predecessor Pope Leo XIII, in 1881, with the renewal of the regular ecclesiastical hierarchy in Bosnia-Hercegovina, the centre of the diocese of Banja Luka was established in this city. During the centuries of its growth and flourishing, the Catholic Church in this region experienced dramatic times of being a truly “crucified Church”. For their fidelity to God’s revealed truth about God and mankind, especially during the last five centuries, many bishops, priests, men and women religious and Christ’s faithful paid with their very lives. Just in the last 60 years, this diocese has had the greatest number of victims amongst its priests, religious and lay faithful of all the dioceses in the Church where Croats live. During the recent tragic war, in the spirit of the Gospel and your incentives, we did not return evil for evil. Instead, we worked hard to do good to all those in need, without making distinctions based upon faith or national identity, even to those from whom we had to endure injustices and evil. Despite our peaceful behaviour, well known to our neighbours and representatives of the international community, the Catholic Church in the wider region of Banja Luka, by the will of the powerful of this world, now finds itself almost completely eradicated. Tens of thousands of Catholics from the area of the diocese of Banja Luka and the archdiocese of Vrhbosna, as well as other regions of Bosnia-Hercegovina, are still waiting to return to their centuries-old places of origin, to their parishes, so that they might continue a life worthy of human beings. Up till now in my diocese, only 3% of those who were forced to flee and the displaced faithful have been able to return. I am convinced that the uprooting of Catholics from this region is not the will of God. You also personally told me in the Spring of 1996 that this is not your will either and that this must not be the will of the Church. Though we as a diocese and Metropolitan See have been severely wounded, we are striving to do good to all, continually working towards reconciliation based upon truth, justice and sincere forgiveness, forgiving at the same time the crimes committed by others, while seeking forgiveness for the crimes committed by members of the Catholic Church of present and past generations, in these areas of ours, which are our dear and only homeland. As bishops we feel responsible to fulfil our duty, which you reminded us of and which you especially encouraged upon us during your visit to Sarajevo in 1997, inviting us to raise our prophetic voice untiringly and make known the violence, expose the injustices, call evil by its proper name and defend through all legal means the communities entrusted to us, whilst never allowing any earthly power to instil fear upon you (cfr. Address to the Members of the Bishops’ Conference, N.3). We would like to become, in this city and country, a precious link between Christians of the West and the East, faithful leaders in the dialogue between Christianity and Islam, authentic creators of a just peace amongst the peoples of this country and in this part of Europe. In order to fulfil this task, it is important that we first of all be able to live in our own homes, parishes, dioceses and have living standards worthy of human beings, required of Europeans of the 21st century. Through our origins, our culture and our faith we belong to the common European home and therefore we wish to - and are capable of - contributing to its spiritual growth and development. Yet, at the same time, we are disappointed and saddened that this same Europe does not recognize in us a people and a nation equal to its other citizens. May there be, in this part of the European continent, as soon as possible a true Europe: united and equal, which shall respect and aid those who are weaker. Therefore we humbly and devotedly ask you Holy Father to continue to be the voice of all the discriminated people from this area: Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Please listen to the voice of one crying in the wilderness! Do not forget us. Help us so that we can stand on our own feet again, as a society and as a Church! Holy Father, in this city, this diocese and this country, there exists true faith, unwavering hope and active love. There exist successful testimonies of life, which deserve all respect. This local Church has something to offer the Universal Church: it has a precious unity amongst its priests, men and women religious, and lay faithful with their bishop and amongst themselves. There have been true martyrs amongst the priests: for one of the seven martyrs from the last war, Father Ratko Grgić, even 11 years later we still do not know the place of his martyrdom. There are in this diocese and local Church faithful religious Franciscans and Trappists, as well as women religious from various congregations. There are unselfish parents and generous youth open to the inspiration of the Divine Spirit ready to help their fellow man, for the common good and a better world. Today this diocese is offering for veneration to the Church one of its greatest members, a young layman who distinguished himself in the service of the Gospel: the Servant of God, Ivan Merz, born and raised in Banja Luka, and who died in Zagreb. This is a man who on the one side through his superior Christian culture rises above earthly narrow-mindedness, links peoples and countries, pacifies and unites the worlds of faith and reason, and who, on the other hand, through his example inspires many in this diocese and beyond, especially those of the Catholic Church amongst Croats, to be faithful to Christ and his Vicar on earth. Thank you Holy Father for choosing to elevate to the dignity of the altar this apostle of youth of the first half of the last century, and for deciding to do this today, here in his home town, now at the beginning of the Central European Catholic Day, which offers new hope for the Catholics of Central Europe! On the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of your Pontificate, on behalf of all those here today and all Catholics of Bosnia-Hercegovina, I wish to express my warmest congratulations, accompanied by prayers to Christ, the Good Shepherd, that He make keep you alive and well in His holy Church and that you may lead the holy People of God for many more years to come! Once again I exult in saying: Welcome Holy Father and thank you from the bottom of my heart!
WELCOME CEREMONY ADDRESS OF JOHN PAUL II International Airport of Banja Luka - Sunday, 22 June 2003 Illustrious Members of the Presidency of Bosnia Herzegovina, Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate, Distinguished Authorities, Dear Brothers and Sisters! 1. With gratitude for your invitation, I have returned after six years to Bosnia-Herzegovina. I give thanks to God for allowing me once again to meet peoples who have always been so close to my heart. I thank the Honorable Members of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, for their cordial greeting and for all that they, together with the other Authorities, have done to make my visit possible. I greet my dear brother, the Most Reverend Franjo Komarica, the Bishop of Banja Luka, together with the other Bishops and all the faithful of the Catholic Church. I greet our brothers and sisters of the Serbian Orthodox Church and of the other Ecclesial Communities, and the followers of Islam and Judaism. 2. Knowing that I am entering your homes through radio and television, I greet and embrace all of you, dear people living in the different parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina. I know the long ordeal which you have endured, the burden of suffering which is daily a part of your lives, the temptations to discouragement and resignation which you experience. I stand beside you in asking the international community, which already has done so much, to continue to be close to you and to help you to reach quickly a situation of full security in justice and harmony. You yourselves must be the primary builders of your future! The tenacity of your character and the rich human, cultural and religious traditions which distinguish you are your true wealth. Do not give up! Certainly starting afresh is not easy. It requires sacrifice and steadfastness; it requires knowing how to sow seeds and then to wait patiently. But you know that starting afresh is nevertheless possible. Trust in God’s help, and trust too in human initiative. 3. If society is to take on a truly human face and everyone is to look to the future with confidence, it is necessary to rebuild man from within, healing wounds and achieving a genuine purification of memory through mutual forgiveness. The root of every good and, sadly, of every evil is in the depths of the heart (cf. Mk 7:21-23). It is there that change must occur, making it possible to renew the fabric of society and to establish human relationships which favor cooperation between the vital forces present in the country. In this regard, a grave responsibility belongs to those who, by the will of the electorate, democratically govern the nation: may they not renounce this indispensable task because of present difficulties, nor should they let themselves be pressured by partisan interests. The Catholic Church seeks to make her own contribution to this common undertaking through the practical involvement of her sons and daughters, particularly through her various initiatives in the areas of education, aid and human development, in the free exercise of her specific mission. 4. Shortly, during the celebration of Holy Mass, I will have the joy of enrolling among the Blessed the young Ivan Merz, born here in Banja Luka, an illustrious example of Christian life and apostolic commitment. By his prayers may he confirm the hopes and good wishes which the Pope today expresses for Bosnia-Herzegovina, so that present problems will find a positive solution, and that the country will see realized its aspiration to become part of united Europe in a context of prosperity, freedom and peace.
MASS AND BEATIFICATION OF THE
SERVANT OF GOD Banja Luka - Sunday, 22 June 2003 1. "You are the
light of the world". Jesus today repeats these words for us, dear brothers
and sisters, for our liturgical assembly. They are not simply a mora By virtue of this sacrament human beings become members of the Mystical Body of Christ (cf. Rom 6:3-5). The Apostle Paul states: "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal 3:27). Saint Augustine rightly exclaimed: "Let us rejoice and give thanks: we have become not only Christians but Christ himself… Marvel and rejoice, for we have become Christ" (In Ioann. Evang. Tract. 21:8, CCL 36:216). Christ is "the true light that enlightens every man" (Jn 1:9). Christians for their part are called to become a reflection of this Light by following and imitating Jesus. For this reason they will listen to and meditate on Christ’s word, take conscious and active part in the Church’s liturgical and sacramental life, and carry out the commandment of love by serving their brothers and sisters, especially the helpless, the poor and the suffering. 2. I greet with affection the Bishop of Banja Luka and President of the Episcopal Conference, the Most Reverend Franjo Komarica, and I thank him for his cordial words of greeting at the beginning of this Eucharistic celebration. My respectful greeting also goes to the other Bishops of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and in particular to Cardinal Vinko Pulijć, the Archbishop of Vhrbosna and a native of this Diocese, and to the other Cardinals and Bishops who join us. I greet in the Lord all the pilgrims who have gathered here from different parts of this country and from neighboring nations. I send a fraternal greeting to His Beatitude Patriarch Pavle and the Members of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The new vitality recently gained in our journey towards mutual understanding, reciprocal respect and fraternal solidarity is a cause for joy and hope for this region. My greetings go also to the members of the other Ecclesial Communities of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and to the members of the Jewish community and the Islamic community. I greet the Honourable Members of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina and all the other civil and military Authorities. I very much appreciate your presence and I thank you for all that you have contributed to the organization of my visit to your country. Finally to you, the beloved sons and daughters of this pilgrim Church in Bosnia-Herzegovina, I open wide my arms in order to embrace you and tell you that you have an important place in the Pope’s heart. He constantly brings before the Lord in prayer the sufferings which still burden your journey and he shares with you in hope the expectation of better days. From this city, marked in the course of history by so much suffering and bloodshed, I ask Almighty God to have mercy on the sins committed against humanity, human dignity and freedom also by children of the Catholic Church, and to foster in all the desire for mutual forgiveness. Only in a climate of true reconciliation will the memory of so many innocent victims and their sacrifice not be in vain, but encourage everyone to build new relationships of fraternity and understanding. 3. Dear brothers and sisters, the just man, surrounded by divine light, becomes in turn a lamp which radiates light and gives warmth. This is what we learn today from the figure of Ivan Merz. A gifted young man, he made a good return on his rich natural talents and obtained great human success: it can be said that he had a very successful life. But that is not the reason why he is today declared Blessed. What makes him one of the choir of the Beati is his success in God’s eyes. The great aspiration of his whole life was "never to forget God, to desire always to be one with him". In all his activities Ivan Merz sought "the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus" and he allowed Christ to make him his own (cf. Phil 3:8,12). 4. At the school of the liturgy, the source and summit of the Church’s life (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10), Ivan Merz grew to the fullness of Christian maturity and became one of the principal promotors of the liturgical renewal in his country. Taking part in Mass and drawing nourishment from the Body of Christ and the Word of God, he drew the inspiration to become an apostle of young people. It was not by chance that he chose as his motto "Sacrifice – Eucharist – Apostolate". Conscious of the vocation he had received in Baptism, he made his whole life a "race" towards holiness, the "high standard" of Christian life (cf. Novo Millennio Ineunte, 31). For this reason, as the First Reading says, "his memory will not disappear, and his name will live through all generations" (Sir 39:9). 5. The name of Ivan Merz has meant in the past a programme of life and of activity for an entire generation of young Catholics. Today too it must do the same! Your country and your Church, dear young people, have experienced difficult times and now there is a need to work together so that life on all levels will fully return to normal. I therefore appeal to each of you; I invite you not to step back, not to yield to the temptation to become discouraged, but to multiply initiatives which will make Bosnia-Herzegovina once more a land of reconciliation, encounter and peace. The future of this land depends also on you! Do not seek a more comfortable life elsewhere, do not flee from your responsibilities and expect others to resolve problems, but resolutely counter evil with the power of good. Like Blessed Ivan, strive for a personal encounter with Christ which sheds new light on life. May the Gospel be the great ideal guiding your approaches and your decisions! Thus you will become missionaries in word and deed, signs of God’s love and credible witnesses of the merciful presence of Christ. Never forget: "one does not light a lamp and put it under a bushel" (cf. Mt 5:15). 6. Dear brothers and sisters who take part with such fervour in this celebration, may the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, keep your heart and your spirit in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ! This is the prayer and the wish which, through the intercession of Blessed Ivan Merz, the Pope today offers for you and for all the peoples of Bosnia-Hercegovina.
ANGELUS Banja Luka - Sunday, 22 June 2003 1. An important source of strength in the life of Blessed Ivan Merz was, along with the Eucharist, his tender devotion to the Mother of the Lord. At the conclusion of this liturgy, we too lift our eyes to the Virgin Mary and we join the whole Church in repeating the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel and in contemplating the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. We ask Mary to help us "to contemplate the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love" (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 1), 2. With affection I greet the German-speaking pilgrims. Through the intercession of the new Blessed, may the Lord make you, like him, strong in faith, firm in hope and fruitful in charity. I cordially bless you. To you, brothers and sisters of the Hungarian language, go my very cordial greetings and my prayerful good wishes that God’s grace will guide your steps and enlighten your lives. With affection I bless you. Remembering the commitment of Blessed Ivan Merz to Catholic Action, I greet the Italian-speaking faithful. May his example as a Christian layperson help each of you to respond faithfully to the vocation you have received. I cordially bless all of you. To the pilgrims from Serbia and Montenegro I offer an affectionate greeting and my blessing. Dear friends, may the intercession of the Mother of the Lord and of Blessed Ivan obtain for you an abundance of divine graces. I cordially greet the faithful from Croatia, who are honoured to have given the Church a new Blessed. May his example guide you along the paths of the Lord! With my Blessing 3. To the Mother of the Lord I entrust my prayer for all of you and my heartfelt gratitude for the cordial welcome you have given me. And one final prayer: by her powerful intercession, may the Virgin Mary obtain for you from her Son Jesus the grace of preserving the integrity of your faith, the firmness of your hope and at all times the fervour of your charity.
FAREWELL CEREMONY ADDRESS OF JOHN PAUL II Plaza in front of the Most Holy Trinity Convent in Banja Luka - Sunday, 22 June 2003 Before leaving, dear Brothers and Sisters, I would like to tell everyone once again of my joy for having been able to share with you this intense moment of prayer. I thank my Brother Bishops of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the President of their Conference, Bishop Franjo Komarica of this Church. With him I thank the collaborators, ecclesial and lay, who have organized this day with the many months of hard work. I would like also to renew my heartfelt thanks to the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to the civil and military Authorities. I greatly appreciate what has been done at various levels so that my Visit could take place. One last cordial greeting to the entire population of this beloved Country, without ethnic, cultural or religious distintion. I will have all the people of this country present, having received this afternoon the courteous visit of the Presidents of the Republic of Serbia and of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then the Members of the Interreligious Council. Upon all, I invoke the abundant blessings of the Most High, to whom I ask to enkindle in the hearts of each one sentiments of forgiveness, of reconciliation, of brotherhood. These are the solid foundations for a society worthy of man and acceptable to God. Land of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Pope holds you in his heart and wishes you days full of prosperity and peace.
CATHOLIC CHURCH IN BANJA LUKA History background According to the newest Church system, Catholic Diocese has been in Banja Luka for 122 years. Pope Leon XIII established the Banja Luka Diocese on July 5, 1881 by bull “Ex hac augusta”. Till now, five bishops have resided in Banja Luka, but at times, arch(bishops) from other bishopric centers have administrated the Banja Luka Diocese along with guiding their own dioceses (archbishop Josip Štadler from Sarajevo and bishop Smiljan Čekada from Skopje). The current bishop, mons. dr Franjo Komarica has been administrating the Diocese from July 15, 1989. The beginning of the Banja Luka Diocese is far from the beginning of the Catholic presence in this region. In fact, Christianity came here in Roman times and took deep roots here. The region of the current Banja Luka diocese was the site of at least one other historical diocese – Baloie place (probably close to the current place Šipovo), whose Bishop was a representative at the Church Synod in Salona in 530. After Barbaric havoc, and after the conversions of Croats to Christianity, this region was divided among several other nearby Dioceses: Split, Nin, Knin , Krbava and Bosnia. The Banja Luka region and the northern part of Banja Luka belonged to the Zagreb Diocese. An old town called Vrbas, the center of the Vrbas region, was probably on the place of the current city of Banja Luka. According to the written statutes, Banja Luka’s name was mentioned for the first time in 1494. Numerous church buildings from antique and medieval times testify to the rich, plentiful life of the Catholic Church in this region before the fall to the Turkish conquers. There are around one hundred such church buildings and ruins in current Bihać region alone! The Turks smote the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the current Banja Luka diocese, through occupation, destruction and Islamization. The essential ethnic and religious images of the region were changed through the settling of an Orthodox population in this Turkish-occupied region. Bosnian Franciscans have been almost the only pastoral clergy in this region from the time of the fall of Banja Luka to the Turks in 1528. Bishops had not dared to come to the parts of their Dioceses that had fallen under Turkish power. For that reason, in 1735 the Holy See established the Apostolic Vicary instead of Dioceses in Ottoman Bosnia. The whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina belonged to the Apostolic Vicary. The Apostolic Vicar, a Fransiscan, managed the Vicary following the orders of the Bishop. This continued for almost a century and a half, until the establishment of the Banja Luka diocese in 1881. The Catholic Church in Banja Luka was badly injured during the so-called Viennese war (from 1681 till 1699), and particularly in 1737 during the so-called Banjaluka war, when the parish church was burned and the believers moved out in large numbers. Banja Luka city has had its own parish from ancient times, certainly from pre-Turkish times. Unfortunately, the tracks of numerous churches have disappeared during the long-lasting period of Turkish rule, not to mention the parish registers, documents and other written texts. The oldest registers of baptisms, marriages and deaths in the Banja Luka parish “Visitation of Blessed Virgin Mary” date from 1753, and are written partly in Bosnian Cyrillic script in Croatian (so-called ikavica), and partly on the Latin. However, in the (pre)Turkish period St. Marko’s Church and St. Ljudevit Church on Lauš were mentioned in some historical documents, as well as Blessed Virgin Mary Church on Paprikovac. The residence of the parish was moved at the beginning of 19 century to the isolated village Rakovac, in order to be more protected from Turkish advances. Some other historians believe that in the Middle Age there were other churches in this region, (in Vrbas upper town as well as in downtown) such as St. Martin Church and St. Elisabeth Church. They were mentioned in the list of Dubica archdeacon Ivan in 1334. All this is, unfortunately, unexplored conjecture, and is veiled in forgetfulness. We can better follow the history of Catholicism in Banja Luka and the nearby region that belonged to Banja Luka parish in the last two and half centuries, from which time we have better preserved Parish Registers. The residence of the Parish was moved again to the town in 1859, to the place where the parish church and parish house still exist. One modest house that was burnt in 1876 had been used as the liturgical space. Then a modest hut was built, while in 1891 the current parish church was built. Some years before (from 1884 till 1885), the first cathedral was built in Banja Luka, and immediately after, Bishop Marijan Marković, Franciscan, took up residence in Banja Luka, which was dedicated to St. Bonaventura.
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been kind enough to come!” (Acts 10:33). With these solemn and courteous
words, the Roman centurion Cornelius thanked the apostle Peter when he,
inwardly inspired by God, appeared before the threshold of his home in the
town of Joppa.
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exhortation. They are a statement of fact which expresses an essential
requirement flowing from the reception of Baptism.
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