Banjaluka, 23. november 2004. (TABB)

Number 831/04                                                                       

Mr. Dragan Čavić
President of the Republika Srpska
Banja Luka 

Subject: The recent murder of a Catholic priest – a continuation of the eradication of the Catholic Church on the territory of the Republika Srpska?

Dear Mr. President!

            In light of the recent horrific murder in the parish rectory of a priest in my diocese, prelate Msgr. Kazimir Visaticki, the pastor of Bosanska Gradiska, and the administrator of the of Nova Topola and Dolina parishes, and the dean of Bosanska Gradiska, you have personally expressed to me, to members of his family and the parishioners of the parishes that he administered, as well as my entire diocese your “deepest condolences.”        

For that noble gesture I deeply thank you!

I am also thankful for the immediate and energetic action by members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Republika Srpska, which resulted in the quick apprehension of the murderer. “His evil deed” as you said yourself, “a murderer and a criminal did not just kill a man, but broke God’s law, and has caused fear and concern among Catholic priests and the Croatian people” on the territory of the Republika Srpska. Thank you for that honest admission. This is regarding the fact, that you are aware of, that in 1992 on the territory of my Diocese of Banja Luka and in the greater Banja Luka region, eight priests and one sister, as well as five hundred Catholics were targeted to be killed in their homes. Until now, as far as we are aware of, only one crime committed on these innocent victims is under trial and that is for the case regarding the pastor of Prijedor, Mr. Tomislav Matanovic and his parents Josip and Bozana.

I have personally appealed many times to competent political authorities in the Republika Srpska, including you personally, to find the bodies of pastor Rev. Ratko Grgic, of Nova Topola, who was kidnapped from his (then intact) rectory, as well as the president of the parish pastoral council of Bosanska Gradiska Marijan Vistica. Unfortunately, without any success. What of their killers? Aren’t they farther away from prison and untried for their evil crimes with the real possibility that they can commit new ones?  What about the untried killers of my priests, sisters, faithful, and the destroyers of some 203 religious objects in my diocese in the territory of the Republika Srpska, where as you are aware, was no fighting during the war?  

Will the government of the Republika Srpska finally start assessing war damage on destroyed religious objects and at least partially help their repair? How will the Banja Luka Diocese be compensated for the liquidation of its priests and sisters?

The wartime politics of the government of the Republika Srpska on the territory of the Banja Luka Diocese consequently planned and fundamentally executed program of ethnic cleansing – better known as the “Scorched Earth” action – along with the unrealized return and support of Catholics to their homes, these natives have been almost exterminated in spite of their peaceful behavior.

It shouldn’t surprise you or me if the remaining few Catholics of my diocese, not just Croats but others, after the murder of a pastor and dean Msgr. Kazimir Visaticki (by birth a Pole!) to unfortunately see a continuation of the destruction of the Catholic church in the Republika Srpska, or rather Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Deeply troubling and bitter sounding to us the statement of one employee of the Ministry for Internal Affairs, after the recent crime in the rectory that “the police is powerless, because the criminals are freely protected by certain influential circles in the government of the Republika Srpska (!).”  

As a native of Banja Luka and the Catholic bishop of Banja Luka, I have believed and I believe that it is my responsibility to constructively contribute to, protect and affirm the dignity of all people, as well as all fundamental human rights and the freedom of very person and peoples of all churches and religious communities in this country, and overall the need for pardoning and reconciliation.

This is why I am again appealing to you as the head of the Republika Srpska for your demonstration against allowing the murderer of pastor and dean Msgr. Kazimir Visaticki, who was a known malevolent and criminal to be allowed to commit new and disgusting crimes against other peoples and religious communities and by doing so to cast a new stain upon the Serbian people and to sow new mistrust among the local Catholics and Croats towards their neighbors.  

At this time, I have called upon my priests, sisters and faithful to not allow this crime to seduce their thoughts or to commit acts of revenge and vengeance, but rather and as always to forgive and pray for those who commit crimes, as was commanded by Jesus Christ himself.

It is good for to think together over what effective methods and actions that the religious communities and the actual authorities need to undertake in healing the deep crisis among many of our co-citizens!

But in order to proclaim the full truth and to effectively calm the rightfully agitated faithful in the parishes of the (Bosanska) Gradiska municipality and in my entire Banja Luka Diocese, I appeal to you personally as well as the government of the Republika Srpska, or rather the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RS, to expedite the illumination of the circumstances that preceded and lead to the well planned and executed crime upon a well known peacemaker and humanist, a respected Catholic priest, and a native son, Msgr. Kazimir Visaticki.

We cannot allow that in this country that proven peacemakers be threatened with death or actually murdered, and that the criminals remain unpunished!

I also plead to you again that the faithful in the parishes of Nova Topola, Gradiska and Dolina, who have been shocked with the violent murder of their second priest in the twelve years that the Republika Srpska has existed, to restore their faith in a just state on the territory of the RS with correct positive actions. Help us to finally find the remains of a murdered priest, Ratko Grgic and a respected Catholic believer, Marijan Vistica.

We would like to believe that you want a just state and a happy future for all its inhabitants on this, our territory!

With Deepest Regards,

Dr. Franjo Komarica
Bishop of Banja Luka