I appeal to all those responsible officers in our town, in our midst, and in our Republic, to remain consistent in their humane, noble qualities and remain faithful to their religious convictions. Never for a moment must we allow narrow party interests to prevent us in our main and all important duty, which we must resolve for the benefit of all, namely, to maintain peace and prevent the spreading of the war terror and destruction from raging in our midst.
All those who are responsible for the fate of my countrymen, compatriots in neighbouring regions, from the East, West, North and South, I recommend: Stop the war and bloodshed, do not let it spread to our region! WE want peace! You too should start building peace even if it is on a mortgage of war. Rebuild our respect and freedom and the true legitimate rights of all men and nations.
May all who are gathered here today, as well as all our other citizens and people of good will in our homeland, be blessed with the help of God, so that the New Year of our Lord be a better, more peaceful, happier one and that it remain fruitful within our lifetime. Amen.

 + Bishop FRANJO

Bishop's Easter greeting to the faithful within the diocese and in exile
(Prot. no: 961/93 dated 7 April 1993)
 THE GOD OF PEACE BE WITH YOU ALL

 Dear brother priests, the clergy, sisters and my dear faithful!
I am turning to you as your bishop on the occasion of the greatest feast day for us Christians, Easter - a commemoration-celebration of the Suffering, Death and glorious resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ! I am turning to you, who are still in your homes, on your ancient hearths, as well as those who due to the misfortune of this war have been compelled to find refuge abroad!
This time I turn to you mostly with the words of the Holy Gospel which will serve as a heavenly light in this darkness and fog of our lives. May these words which are at the same time an expression of God's truth about his love for us and about our worth in his eyes bring clarity.
How many of us have in the past few months witnessed the truth written in Ps. 124:1, "If the Lord had not been on our side, they would have swallowed us alive!" Fortunately, however, as it is said in yet another Psalm -125:1, "The Lord encircles his people. The sceptre of the wicked will not come to rest over the heritage of the upright; 01 the upright might set their own hands to evil!"
It is a valuable gift of God that with his help we have not returned evil for evil as we were taught by St Peter the Apostle (1 Pet 3:9). And when we think of the current difficulties to which we must not succumb, it is worth remembering those comforting words of the Prophet Hosea who says, "This is how the Lord speaks, "When they are in distress, they will seek me. Let us return to the Lord! He has rent us and he will heal us; he has struck us and he will bind up our wounds."." (Hos 6:1,-2)
We repeat to ourselves and those around us the words based on hope and optimism which were spoken to us by the Holy Disciple St Paul to the Romans, "If God is for us, who can be against us? Since he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for the sake of all of us, then can we not expect that with him he will freely give us all his gifts?" (Rom 8:31-32)
In the manner of St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, I as your bishop can recommend to you that "I give thanks to God always for you for the grace of God which you have been given in Christ Jesus!" (1 Cor 1:4). Just as St Paul said somewhere else in his letters to the Romans, "If we share his suffering, we shall share his glory". (Rom 8:17)
I wish you all as did St Paul in his letters to the Colossians and the Thessalonians, that in this time when the power of evil and sin rule over us "May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts for which you were called together (Col 3:15), "and do not grieve for them, as others do who have no hope" (1 Thes. 4:13)! Remain faithful to your belief, and hope for all good especially in the battle against evil within yourself and around you and "do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good" like St Paul recommends to the Romans (Rom 12:20). Continue to adhere to Christ's teachings and laws which we accepted through the apostles and our faithful forefathers which like St Paul "I preached to you, and you accepted and took your stand on it". (1 Cor 15:1)
Just as St Paul wrote to the Romans I also tell you  that "Your obedience has become known to everyone and 1 am very pleased with you for it", (Rom 16:19) an obedience which has continued since St Peter to our current Pope John Paul II! As a sign of special love and fatherly care for our diocese and everyone of Us members, wherever they may be at this moment, he gave us a large Easter candle during the prayer group in Assisi in January this year which like Christ will serve as a symbol of victory over evil, sin and any injustice - a candle we will light on Easter in our Cathedral of St Bonaventura!
We pray to the resurrected Christ that the "God of peace be with you all" (Rom 15:33) and I wish you all individually a blessed and spiritually uplifting Easter season singing with you all our ancient Easter psalm in honour of our heavenly Mother:

"May the sorrow on your face dear Mother be gone,
for your son of death is full of glory!
With the Mother of God, Mary may we all go to Christ our King:
He rules, he rules! Amen! Alleluia!"

I sincerely greet you all and call upon God's blessing and the protection of the Holy Virgin Mary, the Helper of Christians and the Queen of Peace.

 Your + Bishop FRANJO

A word from Bishop Franjo in the "Banja Luka Diocese Newsletter", no: 1/94
"DO NOT BE AFRAID FOR I AM WITH YOU!" (Jn 6:20)

Once again our diocesan community can read the BANJA LUKA DIOCESE NEWSLETTER!
After twenty-seven years of its publication (1919-1945) it, like most other religious print, was prohibited during the reign of the bishop Friar Jozo Garić following World War II and the introduction of the new anti-religious system in society.
In a referral to the clergy and faithful, my predecessor wrote in the NEWSLETTER of February 1943 - which was also to be the last issue to be published - amongst other things:
"The horrors of this unforgettable war have not bypassed the poor hi our diocese. Numerous churches were destroyed, parish presbyteries burnt, and so many pastors were tortured or killed. They are the true victims fulfilling their pastoral duties. True martyrs! Our parishes have been deserted. The faithful have dispersed in all directions. Villages have been destroyed and burnt and their hearths demolished. Despite these hard times and misfortunes all I can hear from your mouths is, "Thank God! May it be your holy will!" This is a wonderful example of Christian tolerance and strength which reminds us of the first Christians" (pp. 1-2).
As a result of that war, one-third of our parishes completely disappeared, all the remaining parishes were affected in one way or another while many church institutions were destroyed or shut down. However, Jesus Christ did not forget his people in the region of the Banja Luka Diocese even then. Once again the words to his disciples were made true, "In the world you will have hardships, but be courageous: I have conquered the world" (Jn 16:33). "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me...and I am with you always; yes, to the end of tune" (Mt. 28: 18-20).
Truly the remaining roots embedded in the ages once again set forth healthy young shoots and renewed the tree of Christ's Church. Our faithful, guided by the teachings of their ardent pastors, lived by the message sent in the Holy Gospel, 'You can trust that God will not let you be put to the test beyond your strength" (1 Cor 10:13).
These latest temptations and war calamities to which a great deal of our diocese has been exposed to, have not managed to quench our faith in the Trinity nor our hope for his help and protection. Furthermore, many have once again returned to the faith of their forefathers. They have strengthened their faith with prayer and the holy sacraments. They have shown by their actions that they do not wish to rely on their own human power during these difficulties but have put their faith in the assistance and protection offered by God. For this reason, the majority of our faithful have managed and still are managing not to fall under the weight of evil. They are prepared to suffer evil and injustice and yet not cause suffering to others and are truly trying to fulfil Christ's most difficult commandment; "Love your enemy, do good to those who hate you!" (Lk 6:27)
This altitude maintained by our priests, clergy and nuns and the majority of the faithful of our dioceses will surely not pass without God's blessing for Christ's Church in these regions!
Even though we are faced with our own way of the cross, we know that before us stands the Son of God, the biggest sufferer and the highest Judge. When we suffer, he suffers with us and for us! That's how he sees our suffering which we must bear for the sake of our sins and the sins of others. Jesus Christ gives us, by His example, hope and security, that after the suffering and Good Friday, the inevitable day of the majestic Resurrection - must come to us all who believe in God and who have hope in his love and mercy!
So the revived NEWSLETTER OF THE BANJA LUKA DIOCESE wishes that you, the members of our diocese, confirm the faith of your fathers, strengthened in hope for justice, and that you be united in love towards God, the Church and your neighbour. We hope to achieve this through:
- regular messages from the Holy Father and our local bishops;
- catechism, theological and spiritual messages to spread the faith and expand our theological knowledge and spiritual life;
- reports on current affairs, with religious events and liturgical feast days which will be celebrated in our diocese (and Metropoly);
- news about the current events in the life of the Church and the world;
- historical accounts of our parishes and monasteries.
For all those who have been compelled to temporarily or permanently leave our diocese, leave the parishes of their roots, where they were born or lived for a long time, our NEWSLETTER wishes to be a valuable connection with their homeland, with the memories and people which have remained behind.
We thank our good God for making such a venture possible in these fateful times of our Banja Luka Diocese. God's providence and the protection of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, St Joseph, St Bonaventura and God's servant Ivan Merz we offer you this "NEWSLETTER OF THE BANJA LUKA DIOCESE"!
I call on God's blessing especially for our ardent brothers in the priesthood-of the diocese and our nuns - who will participate in the preparation of the newsletter; and a blessing to all those who will read it - within our diocese and elsewhere!
To all our priests and nuns and God's entire nation in my diocese - either within it or elsewhere - and all our benefactors as well as all Christians, I wish you the peace of our resurrected Christ in your hearts and a joyous Alleluia on your lips! 

+ Bishop FRANJO of Banja Luka

Pastoral letter to the remaining faithful of the parishes of the Banja Luka Diocese
(Prot. no: 922/93 dated 27 March 1993)
DO NOT SUCCUMB TO THE LIES. SLANDER & DECEIT WHICH ARE BEING SPREAD BY THE PUBLIC MEDIA

 Dear faithful!
On several occasions recently we have been able to witness some odd news via the local media outlets - radio, TV and daily newspapers - about the Catholic Church in the Banja Luka Diocese and its Bishop and priests.
The issue here is of malicious allegations against the Bishop and priests, as well as other members of our diocese including unscrupulous deceptions being spread by the public, all this in the aim of creating an atmosphere of unrest, acting as psychological pressure for the remainder of the population of our diocese to succumb.
Amongst these rumours was the one relayed on current affairs programmes on TV Banja Luka and TV Serbia on Sunday 21 of this month, as well as on some radio programmes and in articles published by the "Glas srpski" of Monday 22 of this month - about the apparent mass re-settlement of Catholics from parishes located in the Bosanska Krajina - with the apparent approval of the Catholic Church and the Holy See and seemingly organised by your Bishop and priests. This information is nothing but evil LIES, and well thought out DEFAMATION of us all and an example of shameful DECEIT of the general public.
You could have known this from the beginning, being aware of the attitude of the Catholic Church to which we belong, including my attitude and that of all our priests! Nevertheless, because of all the commotion and war threatening atmosphere hanging over our heads, these lies and deceits have aroused a feeling of nervousness amongst some of us to the point of panic in some cases. Others even have some notions of actually fleeing or re-settling.
There is no need to be surprised that in this mad, uncalled-for conflict between our neighbours in these regions, a conflict in which we Catholics wish no part, a battle of lies arid misinformation is being waged in the media.
And it is even more necessary to know the real truth if we do not wish to be duped to draw false conclusions or led to incorrect decisions and behaviour on our part.
The mentioned lies and deceits are just part of the inhuman campaign which is being led against the Catholic Church in general, especially against its existence and presence in these regions. I, as your Bishop, can say the following about these lies:
Do not be afraid! Have confidence in God, the Lord of each and everyone of our lives, as well as our entire history and fate, including that of the Catholic Church to which we belong. It has existed and survived here for 17 centuries despite the many thorny events throughout its time up until this very day! We will continue to exist here, be it God's will, in which we have no reason to doubt!
You have your priests who have remained with you and will remain here as long as there is even one believer in your parish. You have your Bishop who does not believe that it is his duty to run before you or with you from these ancient hearths of ours in this out only homeland. Our renowned ancestors not once came across such turbulent tunes! We are well aware that they were frequently martyred, that they suffered, were oppressed and humiliated, stripped of their rights and defamed. They remained, however, on their hearths in faith of Christ's Gospel and the teachings of the Church of love towards God and towards every man - even towards one's enemy!
I as your bishop cannot decide about the future of your residence, nor can your parish priests! This is exclusively your right and choice. What we can do however, and must in fact, is to raise our voices to God and our prayers to protect you all and bring you close to him - wherever you may be! We can and must forward our appeals to all those in power, that each one of you even here in this part of the world on your own hearths must be treated as men with rights worthy of any civilised man and including the right to a home!
It is my duty and that of all your parish priests - that by their teachings in word and by their own example they preach God's teachings -and lead us from sin by the mercy of God, so that together with Christ and by his suffering and cross we be taken from this sinful world to our glorious resurrection and eternal heaven!
Any other way out which is being maliciously suggested or imposed upon us - we cannot even consider accepting!
Calling for a multitude of blessings from the Holy Trinity and the motherly protection of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Helper of Christians and Queen of peace upon you all, I greet you with brotherly love!

 Your + Bishop FRANJO  

N. B. This should be read to the faithful at all masses on the first Sunday after receiving this letter!

Bishop's Easter sermon
(Prot. no: 112/94 dated 30 March 1994)
"YOU ABE PREPARED TO SUFFER EVIL, RATHER THAN TO BRING IT UPON OTHERS"

My dear brothers in the priesthood, the clergy and my dear sisters, dear faithful!
This year we once again await the Feast of Easter listening to reports of war and war calamities in our immediate vicinity, as well as personally being exposed to daily humiliations and suffering caused by this war. Nevertheless, we are still full of fundamental hope and the example of Christ, the Son of God and the Saviour of the world. Indeed the Head of the Church we belong to has not forgotten us - his people situated in the Banja Luka Diocese. Once again his words have come true, "In the world you will have hardships, but be courageous; I have conquered the world". (Jn 16:33) "AD authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me...and I am with you always, yes, to the end of time". (Mt 28: 18-20)
"The horrors of this unforgettable war have not bypassed the poor in our diocese. Numerous churches were destroyed, parish presbyteries burnt, and so many pastors were tortured or killed. They are the true victims fulfilling then pastoral duties. True martyrs! Our parishes have been deserted. The faithful have dispersed in all directions. Villages have been destroyed and burnt and their hearths demolished… Despite these hard times and misfortunes all I can hear from your mouths is, "Thank God! May it be your holy will!" This is a wonderful example of Christian tolerance and strength which reminds us of the first Christians. This is truly an example of Christian perfection; in every situation to offer one's will to God's will" (pp. 1-2) - this is how my predecessor, the Bishop of Banja Luka, Friar Jozo Garić wrote in the "Newsletter of the Banja Luka Diocese" dated February 1945. As a result of that war, one-third of our parishes completely disappeared, all the remaining parishes were affected in one way or another while many church institutions were destroyed or shut down. Nevertheless, the remaining roots embedded in the ages once again set forth healthy young shoots and renewed the tree of Christ's Church. Our faithful, guided by the teachings of their ardent pastors, lived by the message sent in the Holy Gospel, "You can trust that God will not let you be put to the test beyond your strength" (1 Cor 10:13).
These latest temptations and war calamities to which a great deal of our diocese has been exposed to, have not managed to quench our faith in the Trinity nor our hope for his help and protection. Furthermore, many have once again returned to the faith of their forefathers. The have strengthened their faith with prayer and the holy sacraments. They have shown by their actions that they do not wish to rely on their own human power during these difficulties but have put their faith in the assistance and protection offered by God. For this reason, the majority of our faithful have managed and still are managing not to fall under the weight of evil. They are prepared to suffer evil and injustice and yet not cause suffering to others and are truly trying to fulfil Christ's most difficult commandment; "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you!" (Lk 6:27).
This attitude maintained by our priests, clergy, nuns and the majority of the faithful of our dioceses will surely not pass without God's blessing for Christ's Church in these regions!
Even though we are faced with our own way of the cross, we know that before us stands the Son of God, the biggest sufferer and the highest Judge. When we suffer, he suffers with us and for us! That's how he sees our suffering which we must bear for the sake of our sins and the sins of others. Jesus Christ gives us, by His example, hope and security that after the suffering and Good Friday, the inevitable day of the majestic Resurrection must come to all those who believe in God and who have hope in his love and mercy! That is why the clatter of arms and war chants could not and will not smother our joy in our Easter song: Alleluia - the Lord has risen, Alleluia! In this belief and hope for you, all my dear brothers in the priesthood, and dear sisters and faithful, who are currently situated in our diocese - or you who have had to temporarily leave your homes because of the war - from the bottom of my heart 1 wish you the peace of our resurrected Christ in your hearts and Alleluia on your lips! Let us share Christ's peace with all those who, like us, wish for peace! 

+ Bishop FRANJO

A word from Bishop Franjo in the "Banja Luka Diocese Newsletter", no: 2/94
MORE THAN BREAD AND CLOTH, WE NEED THE SPIRIT OF GOD 

We people are God's possession. God administers our lives. He sincerely cares for our eternal joy. He shows us in various ways that he loves us. Unfortunately, since we are gifted with a free will, we are capable of rejecting God's love, scorning his care and instead of experiencing joy, we bring upon ourselves other misfortunes, destruction - temporal, as well as eternal!
Jesus calls himself the most sincere witness and proclaimer of God's love. (Jn 5:19-20) He proves this claim by his actions, in a very special, unique and glorious way - with his joyful resurrection! Nevertheless, there are many who to this day do not believe in him! At then own - and that of others - general misfortune!
They, who allowed themselves to be taught God's law and in faith accepted Jesus' teaching and example, are in a position to witness God's truth, belief and love toward mankind. The Holy Spirit can be found in them and they are full of his saving graces: wisdom, reason, conscience, strength, knowledge, piety and the fear of God. This Spirit of God - the Spirit of the resurrected Christ - enables us to call God our father and makes us all brothers. He enables us to have access to shares of his Kingdom, to serve God's law and as such be blessed in this and our future eternal lives. This is guaranteed to us by Jesus Christ (Jn 17: 20-24).
This truth is witnessed by Jesus' disciples from the very beginning of the Church - on the first Pentecost Sunday - until this very day. The Church exists and is fruitfully active in all sections of the world, thanks to the presence and actions of the Holy Spirit. Conscious of its dependence on the Holy Spirit, the Church is constantly turning to him in prayer:

"Blessed shining light,
in the hearts of your folk shine,
do fill our souls!
Without your holiness,
man is without anything,
sinking in evil black!"
(Hymn to the Holy Spirit)

Truly, in those hearts where the saving, peaceful actions of the Holy Spirit have been denied and have been "evicted", we can witness the regular appearance of destructive evil forces - Satan! Christ's disciples know of this lasting danger from then own experience and as such - strong in faith - they oppose themselves to the Devil, recognising the inspiration of the Holy Spirit- who comes to them through the voice of their own conscience or through external events. This is why, in unity with the Church, they pray each day: "With the light of the Holy Spirit, God taught the hearts of your faithful that through the Holy Spirit we can see what is true and can rejoice at this insight!"
In the environment we live in, in these times signified by destruction and the actions of Evil spirit, we all feel that even more than bread and cloth itself, we are in need of God's Spirit!
Let us continue to pray to the Holy Spirit so that in the hopelessness that surrounds us we can think properly about God, about ourselves, about others and how we can be deserving of God's protection and comfort which we have felt so often until now. May we once again rejoice with God and be thankful to him!

+ Bishop FRANJO

 A word from Bishop Franjo in the "Banja Luka Diocese Newsletter", no; 3/94
WITHOUT RESPECT FOR GOD'S HONOUR THERE IS NO JUST PEACE AMONGST MEN

 Like other priests in the world, we the bishops of the Vrhbosna Metropoly cannot and must not stand aside when it conies to God's honour and human dignity. We are conscious of our responsibility "Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the living and the dead," (2 Tim 4:1), as well as before the Church whose members we are and of which, like "the guardians of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 20:28), we are the leaders in this region. This is why we are trying, both individually and jointly, "in season and out of season" (2 Tim. 4:2) to be witnesses to Christ's truth, justice, love and mercy intended for all people.
Whenever we have managed in the past two years to meet with the Synod of our Metropoly, we have always announced a clear and loud message to our faithful and all people of good will - may the armed activities cease, may the bloodshed stop, may the weapons hush, may those with the taste of evil and blood be stopped in their tracks, may we finally start lo establish a just peace which we all yearn for! This peace must be of a universal value, it must ensure consideration for God's law and for the respect of human rights for every man, of every ethnic or religious community in these regions.
We did just this at our last Synod held on 6 May this year, in Bol on the Island of Brae, in the ancient Dominican monastery where our seminary is being temporarily housed and where our theologians are finishing their studies.
This time in our Statement issued "to our priests and faithful as well as the local and international public" amongst other things we appealed "to all political leaders to wisely search, reasonably accept, decisively and consistently implement the agreed accords to the benefit of all people who live in these regions". We once again called upon all our faithful "to humbly and lastingly pray so that our merciful God may show us the light necessary to find the best solutions possible and to implement them correctly in the arm of a just peace for Bosnia-Herzegovina", i.e. in the region of our entire Metropoly.
Unfortunately, we have had to ascertain that the current level of political negotiation and agreement reached to date brings into question the unity of our Metropoly; that due to this wretched war all four of our dioceses have been devastated, with only 40 to 80 percent of our faithful, our church buildings and other church property remaining. We cannot allow this to remain in such a manner "we cannot accept this, neither as the bishops of these dioceses nor as the Catholic Church as a whole!"
Once again we "most decisively raised our voices in defence and for the reinstatement of the most fundamental human and civil rights and liberties - not only for the Catholic faithful but for all those who have been stripped of their rights in the regions of our Metropoly", demanding that the carriers of political authority (of the Serbian, Muslim and Croat peoples) "more decisively and effectively undertake steps to stop any form of discrimination or injustice towards the Catholic population which is taking place over a large area of the Banja Luka Diocese".
"In the regions of Bosnia-Herzegovina where the return of displaced people is possible, we demand the following from the appropriate authorities:
- to ensure free return to their homes;
- to more decisively take steps for the secure delivery and just distribution of humanitarian aid to those who are most in need of it;
- to undertake measures for reconstruction and to create employment opportunities so that the population can support its families;
- that all influential factors (civil authorities, public media, religious leaders, cultural and health employees) more decisively create favourable conditions so that they can effectively begin to heal the physical and psychological wounds caused by the war.
We know that many Catholics were expelled or fled from the regions under the control of the Bosnian Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina and now wish to peacefully return to their homes. We demand that Serbian authorities and the international community enable this as soon as possible".
We considered it our duty to once again thank "our priests and nuns who have often heroically and at the threat to their own lives and well being, remained with the people entrusted to them by God, feeding them both spiritually and materially with food, protecting them, urging them on, raising them from sin and saving them from those poisoned souls created by this horrific war". Once again we ask them to "lean on the strength of the Holy Spirit and to last in their faith in Christ and his Church there, where they are most needed".
Once again we wish to thank the "Members of the Croatian Bishops' Conference and other Bishops' Conferences in the world for their love, solidarity and attention paid to our suffering".
As always till now, together with my brothers in the episcopacy, Msgr Vinko Puljić, Archbishop of the Vrhbosna Metropoly, Msgr Ratko Perić, Bishop of Mostar and Administrator of the Trebinje - Mrkanj Diocese, as well as Msgr Pero Sudar, Assistant Bishop of the Vrhbosna Metropoly and finally "all our priests and nuns, as well as God's entire nation and people of good will, I recommend you to God's love and the protection of the Most Holy Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Church and the Queen of Peace". 

Your + Bishop FRANJO

A word from Bishop Franjo in the "Banja Luka Diocese Newsletter", no: 4-5/94
"WITHOUT ME, YOU CAN DO NOTHING" (Jn 15:5)

 We are being overcome by an enormous foul wave of social, political and economic upheavals, to the point of general chaos leading to unforeseeable negative repercussions. This wave is carrying with it a huge amount of destruction, of fatal deceits, and misfortune.
We hope that this wave will cease to spread and distract, but rather begin to retreat soon.
What then?
Will we find that we have preserved our sound judgement, spiritual health and peace in our hearts or will we, God forbid, be possessed with a disturbed conscience, poisoned hearts, hands and mouths covered in evil, sin, the stains of inhumanity?
We know that by joining evil and deceit we can easily lose our foundations, for our earthly happiness as well as of our eternal salvation. Jesus warned us, "Truly For wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be too". (Mt 6:21) "Good people draw what is good from the store of goodness in their hearts; bad people draw what is bad from the store of badness". (Lk 6:43)
I listened to an elderly man ask a youth, "If God is our father, like the Christian faith leaches us, why then doesn't he give each of us the same portion of bread?"
The question is abstruse and insincere, as it doesn't really search for an answer, but rather is trying to undermine and confuse the youth's faith.
This question of complete equality has baffled mankind since the beginning of time. Much has been written on the topic throughout the ages, before and after Christ. Nevertheless, to this day there is only one place on this earth where we can achieve true equality amongst people. This is at Christ's table of communion. Everyone can come to this table regardless of age, sex, class, status, profes­sion, national affiliation or wealth. Everyone receives the same food at this table - the Body of the Son of God in the form of bread. This is the equality of God the Father towards all people on earth. Another equality is in the other world, which was long ago presented to us by Christ in the fable of the rich man and the pauper Lazarus. (Lk 16:19-31)
People whose only aim is the enjoyment and wealth of this world, as well as those for whom only material things are of importance, do not realise the one and only true equality. This is not unusual. The one and only true equality was created by God in his spiritual kingdom. God's kingdom is not of this world. On the other world this equality needs to be realised by man to whom the Creator gave the world and all its wealth to be administered. He gave him reason and a free-will and enough grace necessary to his behaviour and administration of worldly goods in order to be equally just towards everyone. There where man's justice cannot be reached, love will fill the cracks and insufficiencies of man's justice.
Why then hasn't man realised this equality on this earth? Why can't he create this necessary equality, he whose duty and responsibility it is on this earth to administer this equality? The answer is simple - because he does not have the necessary justice, nor love which is embedded in God, in eternal Justice and eternal Love!
People, individuals or groups who reject God and his law are not in a state to make others around them happy, not even their most loved ones. We too are witnesses to this, both in the past and present. Wherever God's law is rejected which makes mankind happy, this necessarily stimulates the "right" of the stronger to strip those weaker than themselves of their rights, or to oppress the dignity of other human beings and their rights as an individual or as a nation. This inadvertently negates their right to life, to a homeland, to a home, to work, to a just division of the fruits of their labour, to bring up their children, to religious, national, racial and class equality.
Our Christian belief and teaching states that we were created in the likeness of God. We are all invited to an eternal life. Jesus Christ redeemed us all without expectations. We are all children of one heavenly Father and this is why we are brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. This is the foundation of our equality and right to total equality with others around us.
We, as Christians, offer these truths to everyone around us, so that they may resolve their periodic, social, political and economic issues justly, illuminated by God's eternal justice, and with mutual love which is the spark of God's eternal love. They who reject justice or love or even both, have been discarded from God - the source of personal and united happiness.
We can rightly ascertain that this current political, social and economic cataclysmic state and spiritual poverty are mostly caused by the majority of our compatriots and their rejection of God, here on our continent and in this section of the world, where we have once again attempted to build that fatal tower of Babylon. (Prov 11:1-10)
The Son of God, Jesus Christ is the only true happiness for all men and mankind as a whole as he tells us: "Cut off from me you can do nothing". (Jn 15:5) This means that before entering any alliance of unified or just peace amongst men - for individuals or nations - there must be a human alliance with God. God told us through his prophet Isaiah, "If you will not take your stand on me you will not stand firm". (Is 7:9) God will not die if we people stop associating ourselves with him by our faith, prayer and by adhering to his commandments. We will, nevertheless, stop being people when we no longer have any interest God, or when we deny our bond with him! If we are not the people God thought us to be and how he wished us to be, then it is better that we are not people at all, for then we would be miserable - for our own serves and those around us!
Who amongst us, or rather amongst our faithful, wishes to be like this? I know I can with certainly say: "None!" Thank God this is so! 

+  Bishop FRANJO

A word from Bishop Franjo in the "Banja Luka Diocese Newsletter", no: 7/94
WE WAITED FOR THE HOLY FATHER - AND WELCOMED HIM

The tenth and eleventh of September in the one thousand nine hundred and ninety-fourth year of our Lord will from this day forth be written down in golden letters. These next few days we mark one of the most joyful events in our thirteen century long history of the Church amongst our people: THE COMING AND VISIT of God's emissary, POPE JOHN PAUL II.
The coming of the Holy Father to our regions during these very turbulent and war filled days has been longed for like the sun for the freezing, or like rain hi a drought. Many have wished to hear him, the largest peacemaker of our times and tireless defender of human rights - the young and old, those stricken by the woes of war, the residents of (half) devastated towns, villages, and refugees in their camps.
The Catholic community in the Vrhbosna Metropoly has especially longed to see their pastor, leader and teacher, most especially in the city of Sarajevo, the symbol of all our suffering, and evil in this senseless war, where the Pope wished to visit on the Feast of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, on 8 September. We prepared ourselves spiritually for days hi advance eagerly awaiting our meeting with the Father and his children, the Brother with his brothers, not only we Catholics, but all other people of good will who waited with excitement and hope for the arrival of the angel of peace.
"Instead of the eagerly awaited joy", we had to "share our concern and pain with our Croatian Catholic population in our Metropoly". "It was rendered impossible for the Holy Father to visit and realise his "great wish" to physically visit the centre of our Metropoly". "Instead of stopping the war calamities, the power mongers of the world stopped the visit of this proven peacemaker (!)" Never­theless, in spirit, prayer and a personally expressed message to us Catholics and non-Catholics, he was present in Sarajevo, in our entire Metropoly and hi Bosnia-Herzegovina. Along with other sincere peacemakers, he sincerely expressed his wonder and support and invited all people of good will, regardless of their national or religious affiliation, to decisively "look for peace and justice and the furthering of human values amongst us all". "Peace is possible if we admit the priority of our moral values over the value of lies and false demands of the various races and forces". The Pope's words which we relay on the next few pages have no alternative with regard to the happiness and future of us all! May it be God's will that his words find fruitful ground to lie on!
Only two days after his 'non-arrival', the Holy Father finally arrived amongst "his dear Croats", in the centre of one of the oldest and most celebrated of our (arch)dioceses-Zagreb! This was the Pope's "mission of peace, faith, hope and unity", as he himself said. He was awaited by a million loyal faithful "with endeared souls and open arms." Even though as a result of objective reasons only a small number of our refugees, priests and nuns from our dioceses could be present at this historical meeting with the Pope, many of you watched and listened to his words on the radio or TV when he said, "Today I am here in the land of the Croats, as an empty handed pilgrim of the Gospel, which is the proclamation of love, harmony and peace. I am pleased that I can greet this entire beloved country and its people. My greeting, however, goes much further towards Bosnia-Herzegovina..."
In Zagreb the first man in the Church amongst the Croats, the local archbishop, Cardinal Franjo Kuharić, with a tone of excitement greeted the Holy Father, "Blessed is this moment when we can show you our loyalty and love, and to once again express to you our Holy Father, our faith despite all the temptations put before us."
Throughout all the Pope's fatherly messages of peace and reconciliation, the words of Christ himself so often came through, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us!" In this way, the Holy Father gives all members of the Church amongst Croats, especially in these most difficult war circumstances, the task of being the "leaders in giving forgiveness and searching for it from others, for this is an inevitable pre-condition to true and lasting peace for all of us in these regions." "Peace on the Balkans is not a Utopia! But peace is being imposed as a perspective for historical reality!"
While the Pope presents his priests and clergy with "the heavy task" and "urgent duty" to "reconcile men with God and man with man himself", in his messages presented in Zagreb and the one intended for Sarajevo, he demands of our hearts to undertake the most difficult task to "have the courage to forgive and accept your neighbour."
May any well meaning person amongst us not understand or accept this ecumenical and evangelic peace offered by the Pope as one of the most urgent pre-conditions of a more civilised life, both for the present and future generations in these regions, as well as for the renewal and flourishing of moral, ethnic principles of Christianity and a just life within our society, no matter what it may be like?!
We eagerly awaited the Holy Father - and welcomed him! Thank God and the Pope! His arrival and stay amongst us was a worthwhile gift from heaven itself! His messages filled with the Holy Spirit will have a lasting value and obligation for us all - to be consistent witnesses and builders of God's kingdom on this earth as well as for a just peace and a better future for all people around us.

+ Bishop FRANJO

A word from Bishop Franjo in the "Banja Luka Diocese Newsletter", no: 8/94
"ALWAYS LOOK AHEAD!" (John Paul II)

 In the last issue of the "Glasnik" (Newsletter), having in mind the historical events faced by our homeland and our Church, and in regard to the recent visit by the Pope to our regions, we ascertained and not without reason the following: "His visit and stay amongst us was a worthwhile gift from Heaven itself! His messages filled with the Holy Spirit will have a lasting and obligatory value for us all."
Our bishops too are conscious of this obligation. In a special letter to the faithful, they amongst other things stress: "The Pope's stay in Zagreb, especially if we consider the effort it must have taken him due to his recent illness, expresses the deep ties of our Church and St. Peter's successor. The calamities we were faced with and are still experiencing, his sacrifice, prayer for peace and words of encouragement for all those making sincere efforts towards peace in Croatia and Bosnia-Herze­govina contain a great significance and inspiring strength. We are members of the Church at whose head Jesus placed St. Peter, to be the teacher of Christian Me and to rule with love.
We therefore accept the Pope's message with respect and obedience. This was shown in the Pope's speeches. Approval and acceptance of that what was said was rewarded with careful attentiveness and spontaneous applause, even then when it seemed that some points would be a little difficult for lay people to fathom. Especially they who suffered the most, the tens and thousands of our displaced persons both in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina who gathered at the Hippodrome and who, as the Pope said, "expressed their will to peacefully and freely begin living in their own land in harmony and solidarity". Each wish to use force to expel others from their ancient homes is entirely excluded because we are conscious that justice cannot be established with injustice"...
"The speeches of the Holy Father - taken together - are the source of our inspiration and the signpost of our Church and our people. We need to read these lines once again, to think about them and draw conclusions which will lead to making a decision about our personal and social lives. May these valuable documents of our faith and Christian morality spread through our nation as much as possible."
This is how our bishops speak, individually or jointly - to their priests, nuns and all the faithful.
It is therefore entirely logical that in our "Newsletter" we continuously reflect on certain excerpts of the Pope's messages and bring conclusions from them relevant to our lives and direction in life.
This time I wish to ponder on a particular message with you all which was offered in the Pope's departing speech at the Zagreb Airport. Let's remind ourselves:
"...My dear Croats, always look ahead! Have the courage to forgive and accept your neigh­bour… Forgiveness means liberating your hearts from any feelings of revenge, which cannot be connected with the building of a culture of love in which we participate along with contributions from each and every man of good will. Peace presumes that the foundation of any future initiative be sincere in a will for dialogue, respect for human rights of each individual as well as for national minorities and all in the attempt for mutual tolerance. Be firmly convinced that the good held within peace has its foundations in the heart of God himself. You yourself have been unjustly thrust into the depths of all evil and deceit, which any society who places its faith in rejecting God and the condemnation of God's law can expect. When this happens, man is no longer the primary good of any state, but rather man becomes the object and resource to achieve anti-human goals. The past and modern history teach us that true faith in Christ gives us a sure leaning post to maintain and promote human dignity.
You, as victims of this war: the wounded, orphans, widows, displaced persons, refugees remain faithful to Christ the sufferer. Just as your forefathers had the strength to withstand all hardships, comforting themselves in the wealth of their faith, so you too as Christians...must always know Christ's word and find the light and strength to build your future."
The Holy Father directs us to Jesus Christ, the only true redeemer of mankind. Who else would he direct us to, if not the one who said about himself, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me", (Mt 28:18) "I, the First and the Last, I am the Living One" (Rev 1:13-18) and "Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies, will live". (Jn 11:23)
To believe in Jesus Christ, the embodiment of God himself, means surely to enter into the fullness of life and to own everything that the Holy Spirit speaks to us about in his Epistle to St. Paul, "What no eye has seen and no ear has heard, what the mind of man cannot visualise, all that God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9) - means to follow Christ's teaching and example, means to hear the most joyous and most fateful words of the Heavenly Judge for the riving and the dead, "Come you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world! In truth I tell you, as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me". (Mt 23:34-41).
In this last month of this liturgical year while we are visiting the graves of our most loved ones, and the Feast of All Saints and Jesus Christ, the King of all creation, we need to more frequently think about the content, ideals and aims of our lives, and ask ourselves can we accept as our life motto those divine and very full words written by the poet and priest, Izidor Poljak:

 "I do not wish my days to pass
darkly and quietly into the river
of eternity...
Wherever I may step
I want to throw
sheaves of golden light!"? 

+ Bishop FRANJO

A word from Bishop Franjo in the "Banja Luka Diocese Newsletter", no: 9/94
"THE KINDNESS AND LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR FOR HUMANITY WAS REVEALED!" (Tit 3:4)

 The beginning of the Church year is marked with the period of Advent. The word itself speaks about the coming. We Christians know that the word signifies that eager desire and above all necessary arrival of the Saviour of the world, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Many generations had waited for his arrival, people in a long chain of human history. Feeling in the darkness of hopelessness without any answers to the basic issues concerning human lives and groaning under the pernicious burden of sin and death, the human race wailed, "Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the clouds pour down saving justice, let the earth open up and blossom with salvation." (Is 45:8).
This salvation for the human race was promised to our forefathers after their fatal fall and rejection had finally come to us, the "exiled sons of Eve". He came by the will and love of God and the willingness and co-operation of the most divine creature, the immaculate Virgin Mary!
People who until then had walked in the darkness of sin and death saw the unquenchable light of God's love for mankind! "The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone; he was coming into the world," (Jn 1:9). He came to highlight the bitter truth about man's poverty, to heat his frozen heart, to make him capable of loving God and other men.
By his embodiment and birth on Christmas night, the Son of God let us people know very clearly that God cared for us.
By sending his only Son to us on earth, God the Father removed damnation from the world, and built an indestructible bridge towards us, a bridge of love and friendship, and made it possible for us to reach eternal happiness.
God therefore did all he could for us. Now it is our turn. It is worth realising God's valuable offer and responding to it with all our hearts.
When the Son of God was born on earth someone told man to "give praise to God so that you may enjoy God's peace". (Lk 2:14)
Whoever accepts God, who himself loves man, he then too loves man. Whoever gives thanks to God for his mercy cannot be merciless towards one's neighbours.
The foundation of true happiness for man as an individual and the entire human community may be found in the proclamation of God, Little God, which "revealed the kindness and love of God our Saviour" (Tt 3:4).
Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world truly came to us people over 2,000 years ago. His coming obliges mankind and each one of us, because:
- we are no longer hopeless orphans left to depression;
- we are no longer condemned to destruction and annihilation;
- we no longer have to wander in the darkness of sin, selfishness and hate and spiritual death;
- we no longer have to damn the day of our birth because of our destruction or unfulfilled wishes and the senselessness of our lives!
The newly born Godly baby born in a stable in Bethlehem gives us knowledge that the Almighty God has put us on the side of human powerlessness:
- and yet although weak, sinful and unworthy of him because of his very Son, we may call him "Father" and "Our Father";
- that our joint turning to God as our Father must result in us having mutual brotherly feelings for each other, mutual acceptance, harmony and solidarity;
- that our mutual relations must be honoured so that the entire society in which we live may be even more humane and loving towards mankind.
In his unforgettable homily at the Zagreb Hippodrome on 11 September 1994, the Holy Father clearly let us know:
"that 'Our Father' truly contains the core determining the structure of our society which not only excludes any form of violence, but must always develop the principles of brotherly solidarity. The issue is of a society which takes the form of one large family, in which each individual or group does not feel any discrimination and may be respected and loved."
Grateful to the Saviour for his love towards mankind, we too love in keeping with Christ's command­ment. Our diocesan community has tried once again during this year which is drawing to a close to practise and implement the Pope's words before they were even spoken. We continually tried to exclude the acts of violence in our behaviour towards those around us and at the same time promoted brotherly solidarity towards all our neighbours, regardless of our differences especially towards those faced with misfortune, either spiritually or physically.
Let us remind ourselves that in our first issue of our "NE WSLETTE R" (p.3), our faithful were prepared to experience pain and injustice rather than to inflict it onto others; they even sincerely attempted to fulfil the most difficult of Christ's commandments, "Love thy enemies, do good to those who hate you" (Lk 6:27). Thank God we can once again say the same thing following the latest calamities of the past few weeks and months. We are obliged to him, the one and only God, for this large invaluable gift of faith, hope, love and forgiveness in our hearts and for the possibility of offering this wealth to our neighbours and those who need it most.
That's why despite the darkness of sin that surrounds us we are gifted in our hearts with heavenly lights of that Christmas night marking the birth of the new-born King of peace, and peacefully wish each other a joyous and holy Christmas. May the Holy birth of Jesus give us hope that God's peace and justice be upon us all and all those around us and may the Hew Year in 1995 be a blessed one! 

+ Bishop FRANJO

A word from Bishop Franjo in the "Banja Luka Diocese Newsletter", no: 1/95
"BE WITNESSES AND BUILDERS OF PEACE" (John Paul II)

 We are starting a New Year - the one thousand nine hundred and ninety-fifth year since the birth of Christ the Saviour. This year should be the year of salvation for us and other people around us. Will this come true? What must we do that this year be blessed towards our eternal salvation?
When we count this year in accordance with the event of the embodiment of the Son of God on earth, then we soundly consider that the person Jesus Christ is ever so important not only in regards to measuring time but as a guide towards our formation and experiencing of time which the Lord our Creator offers us. The arrival of the Son of God is God's offer of peace to people! In the embodiment of his Son, God offered his peace treaty to us, the sinful children of Adam and Eve.
In the Old Testament, Christ's peaceful coming to earth was proclaimed with these words, "In his days uprightness shall flourish, and peace in plenty till the moon is no more" (Ps 22:7), while the prophet Isaiah presents him as the "Prince of Peace" (Is 9:6).
Even though we have no reason to doubt the truth of these claims in the Holy Bible, our experiences in life show us that even after two thousand years since the coming of Christ to this world, we still do not have that yearned for peace amongst men.
Why is this so?
Because this same prince of peace respects our free will as men and does not want to forcefully impose his peace upon us individuals, nor as nations, nor as national groups, even though he indisputably remains the only, unrepeated, universal Prince of peace who will come to this world only when we all sincerely recognise Christ and accept his law of love, truth, justice and peace. This means that when we all accept Christ and his law of forgiveness, reconciliation and love, that vitally important just peace will come to us of its own accord, to our lives and our homeland. The future of peace in us and around us depends largely on ourselves and our readiness to be active builders of peace based on the unavoidable foundations of truth, justice, love and freedom. In order for us to be capable of this it is necessary for us firstly to liberate ourselves from our own sinful wishes and ways, as well as those of others around us, and of course to free ourselves from false offers of peace, suspicious leaders and false ideologies.
How can we achieve this?
If we respect the dignity and inviolable rights of every man, a greater conscience will be born within us and also a responsibility towards the needs of our loved ones. We will become disturbed by the actual injustice around us. We will suffer and helplessly watch the misery of others around us, who are spiritually and politically oppressed, who cannot realise their own fundamental human rights neither as individuals nor as a community.
This could easily lead to us being tempted by evil and to flee from our responsibility which we have as Christians of this time and situation. Furthermore, we too could follow the wrong road ourselves, leaving ourselves to the mercy of hopelessness, depression, fatalism, laziness, bitterness, alcohol­ism, disrespect, robbery even violence; or to follow suspicious leaders and to begin to idolise false idols. Not one of these can bring us happiness nor peace in our hearts nor to our living environments. What do we need to know and what can we do?
St Peter teaches us, "Live the time of your exile, here in reverent awe. For you know that the price of your ransom from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors was paid, not in anything perishable like silver or gold, but in precious blood of a blameless and spotless lamb; Christ" (1 Pt. 1:17-19).
Let us remind ourselves of the very significant directions given to us recently by St Peter's successor, John Paul II, "Our most dear Jesus Christ is the truth which can give meaning to your life's hope in the future. Today he repeats a message to you, your families, your people in his Easter greeting, 'Peace be with you' (Jn 10.19). Peace is God's great gift. In order for us to receive this gift we need to change our hearts, and allow God into our lives so that he always comes first. When man rejects God, it is inevitable that he will begin to bow to false idols. He even begins to idolise the ideas of one nation, one race, one party, in order to justify his hale, discrimination and violence. God is our only secure foundation for life and inviolable dignity for every man. Christ expects us to reject these temptations. He even calls us to be his witnesses and builders of peace!"
A better direction or purpose in life as offered by St Peter and the Pope cannot be wished for! May as many people as possible adhere to these directions in this New Year, as members of our diocesan community and we hope the contents of our "Newsletter" may in some way be of help to our readers!

 + Bishop FRANJO

Message from the Bishop on the Feast of Pentecost
(Prot. no: 201/94 dated 17 May 1994)
"THERE IS NO NEED TO BE AFRAID LITTLE FLOCK, FOR IT HAS PLEASED YOUR FATHER TO GIVE YOU THE KING­DOM!" (Lk 12:32)

Dear brother priests and sisters of the clergy, God's people in the Banja Luka Diocese!
On this Feast day of Pentecost, fifty days following the Feast of the Resurrection, we joyfully and thankfully celebrate - jointly with a multitude of our brothers and sisters in faith - a great and significant feast marking the beginning of Christ's Church. Our celebration reached its pinnacle with the celebration of Holy Mass. The core of the mass is the resurrected and eternally living Saviour of the world - Jesus Christ. After his suffering and death which he experienced for us, he joyously arose from the dead and let his disciples know. He came to them and appeared amongst them while they were still in shock of the horrific drama which had taken place on Good Friday when evil triumphed and befell him, their Teacher and themselves his disciples. What did he say to them when he appeared to them alive? What did he do? He said, "Peace be with you!" (Jn 20:19). What did he do? He gave them the Holy Spirit, the Defender (20:23-24; 16:7-8) to lead them to the truth, so that they could be Christ's disciples before other people (Jn 15:26-27).
Peace was most necessary for Jesus' disciples; peace for their frightened hearts, confused heads, exhausted strength! Jesus reminded them of his earlier words and told them that the time of evil was coming, when it would be difficult to be his disciples, even to the point of losing then lives. This will be the fate of Christians and when those who kill them, oppress them, strip them of their dignity, their rights and other human rights - they will think they are serving God Qn 16:2). He also reminded them not to be afraid of the future if they love him and spread his commandments because He himself will pray to the heavenly Father and he will give them another Defender who will always remain with them until the end of the world. This Defender is the Spirit of truth which the world cannot receive because it cannot be seen or known. Only the true disciples of Christ can know the Spirit because he is with them and hi them (14:16-17).
This Defending Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom and strength will strengthen and comfort all of Christ's disciples throughout all generations and wherever they may be!
He therefore guarantees this, the dead but resurrected Christ!
The truth of this and the guarantee must be commemorated by all his disciples, all Christians of all generations until the end of the world, especially when they gather in his name to celebrate his love towards people and to celebrate holy mass remembering his suffering, death and resurrection!
Remembering Jesus' statement and guarantee - as well as believing in him and in his promises - is of vital importance for all of us who praise his name, and who are living now as his disciples if we wish to remain Christians and his loved ones!
Each disciple of Christ must, on the basis of truth to Christ's promise, know that all nations and all people on earth belong to him, Christ, the Lord of heaven and earth and that the leaders of this world and its nations, must also serve rum! We too belong to him as well as all our current leaders of each of our nations in this homeland! God knows us all - what we are like and what we are doing - to ourselves and others! Despite the multitude of evil around us which destroys both body and soul, Christ's Spirit of peace and love will win wherever man opens his heart to the Spirit. This can be seen in many an example amongst us, for example our priests, nuns and the multitude of you dear faithful who have remained faithful to Christ in our diocese! You are witnesses in Christ with your struggle against evil, against evil thoughts, words and actions which you are being tempted by, by our worst enemy - Satan! Instead of returning hate with hate, which you are exposed to for no reason at all, you forgive and pray for those who hate you and do you evil! Instead of returning evils word and actions, you spread love and goodness around you in words and actions!
You may be disturbed by the fact that lately you cannot see the faces of your dear and well known neighbours in our church or in your neighbourhood because faced with too much pressure of evil and violence in our world they have left their ancient hearths, churches, graves and diocese! Maybe you ask yourself what will become of us? The thought of insecurity occupies your hearts and minds! These are just natural human thoughts which cannot be removed!
Here too you can be given the correct answers - through your faith in Christ, our Saviour and in the faith of his command to be his witnesses! This faith emerges from today's event with the coming of the promised Holy Spirit to Jesus' disciples and the beginning of Christ's Gospel and a fruitful life for the Church! Then there were only twelve apostles of Jesus and amongst them was the most holy and innocent Mother Mary. But they were sure they were not alone! They were not afraid that their numbers were few! They knew the words of Jesus which have lasted throughout the history of the Church, "There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom!" (Lk 12:32). Therefore it is most important that God loves us and that he gave us his Spirit, with whose strength we will find peace, be secure, happy and blessed, as true, just witnesses of God's truth, love and mercy!
Brothers and sisters, Christ's disciples, while in another unfortunate year of war for our homeland, we gratefully face the truth, the truth of our Christening in Christ when we became God's children, we pray united as one to the same Spirit of Comfort:

Christ our Lord, may you come to all our hearts and to the hearts of our neighbours, both present and former neighbours, to the hearts of our countrymen and compatriots and may your Kingdom be within them:
- the kingdom of truth, which will expel fatal lies,
- the kingdom of justice, which will destroy injustices,
- the kingdom of holiness, which will remove destructive damnation,
- the kingdom of peace, which will finally stop all wars - small or large,
-the kingdom of love and forgiveness where we will all live free of hate and of feelings for revenge, free of any hopelessness!
Christ our Saviour, by sending the Holy Spirit to your disciples, reminds us that we also are obliged to this world and to its people especially those around us! We do not want to run away from our obligations, because this would be a sin, and would threaten our salvation! Help us to be of more use there where we are small in number, where we are most needed and where You obviously wish to use us as your true associates, in whom you have the right to celebrate Your holy name and save our immortal souls and those of our loved ones!
While we pray to you and sincerely search for God's kingdom we believe that anything else necessary to our lives will come to us of its own accord (Lk 12:31). We truly feel that we are not alone and have not been left to the mercy of hopelessness, insecurity and sorrow! Your entire Church prays with us all over the globe and we are sure that our Mother Mary is praying with us, the Mother of the Church and Queen of Heaven! You are with us too, you three Gods in one, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit whose blessing came upon us and remained with us forever! Amen! Alleluia!

 + Your brother and bishop, FRANJO

P.S. This "Message" should be read to the faithful instead of the homily at all masses on Pentecost Sunday!
Bishop's Ordinary
Banja Luka

Bishop's Easter message
(on the eve of Palm Sunday 1995)
BY SUFFERING AND BY EMBRACING THE CROSS, TO THE CELEBRATION OF EASTER!

Dear brothers and sisters!
In the history of Christ's successors, the Christians, we have seen often enough that crisis and fortune, suffering and reward are closely and mutually connected. During their three year associa­tion with Jesus, the disciples confronted a number of crises, until the dramatic events of the first Good Friday when the worldly powermongers unjustly condemned Jesus and crucified him. According to statements from the Holy Bible, Jesus' disciples lost all hope. Ml their expectations had been destroyed. They were completely confused. "But we had hope..." (Lk 24:21) they said amongst each other, depressed as they were, as they ran from the place where Jesus was tortured and killed, afraid for their own lives.
Nevertheless, Jesus would not have been the Son of God and the promised Saviour had he not transformed each one of their crises into a divine, worthwhile chance - a real possibility of entering into eternal life. Victoriously defeating bitter suffering and death itself, the resurrected Christ teaches his disciples, "Was it not necessary that Christ should suffer before entering into his glory?" (Lk 24:26).
Even though the worldly powermongers and evil men callously condemned, brutally humiliated, abused, tortured and then crucified Jesus despite his innocence, in his own defence he applied an entirely different method and manner. He explicitly tells his first disciple, Peter when the latter attempted to protect him, "Put your sword back, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword"(Mt 26:52). While he hung on the cross in terrible pain, just before breathing his last breath he prayed to the heavenly Father for his torturers, "Father forgive them; for they do not know what they do!”  (Lk 23:34).
Even in those most dramatic moments, Jesus remains consistent to his earlier spoken words, "What, then, will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his life? Or what can anyone offer in exchange for his life?" (Ml 16:26-27). With his existence during the most bitter suffering and death on the cross, conscious of his own innocence, Jesus uncovers all the evil and spiritual poverty of the people who wish to remove him, because he knows very well what is in every man (Jn 2:25). Jesus does not give the slightest opportunity for his torturers and opponents to disturb or confuse him or to frighten him in an effort to stop him from his duty, from his mission i.e. "to bear witness to the truth" (Jn 18:37) about God's love for the world and how he did not spare his only Son but gave him up for all people (Rom 8:32).
Despite the external suffering he is experiencing, Jesus shows that within him there exists a part of him which cannot be threatened by any worldly force, nor any weapon or form of brutality. With his complete loyalty to his Father's will (Lk 22:42) and his voluntary suffering, He redeems and liberates the inner man which cannot be harmed by any bodily suffering; not even by death itself.
This can be seen in the dauntless courage of Jesus' apostles, his first disciples, who received the promised Holy Spirit as a valuable gift from the resurrected Christ and who were then prepared to suffer any pain to the point of death without rejecting Jesus and his teachings. The apostle Paul expressed his experience and the fruit of the pain, death and resurrection of Jesus as "though this outer human nature of ours may be falling into decay, at the same time our inner human nature is renewed day by day. We are subjected to every kind of hardship but never distressed, we are pursued but never cut off, knocked down, but still have some life in us. We realise that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up with Jesus in our turn and bring us to himself" (2 Cor 4).
Christ's resurrection is truly the central event of human history and an all important truth for each of us. God showed us through this unique miracle, that he gives people not only his existence but his Immeasurable love. The victory of life over death, forgiveness and reconciliation over revenge, love over hate, all of which occurred in the suffering, the death and the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, saw the start of the victorious pilgrimage of the Son of God upon our lands, stained with sin and the horrific repercussions of sin. Believing in this Saviour and walking with him as a guide, Christ's pupils - Christians - have, united in His Church as a visible organism, in the union of faith, hope and love, with the strength given to them by Christ Himself, worked fruitfully and tirelessly, for the past twenty centuries, on the renewal of the face of the earth.
The Second Vatican Council stresses, "The Church continues its travel through the persecution of the world and with God's comfort, proclaiming the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Cor 11:26) The power of the resurrected Lord gives us the strength to patiently and lovingly win over our sorrow and hardships inner and outer and to uncover his Mysterious world, although not perfect, until the end is reached in total light". (LG 8)
Following Christ's resurrection there is not one human suffering which cannot be transformed into something noble carrying the mark of his suffering and glorious resurrection. The love of Christ who suffered, was crucified and who arose from the dead for us and for our salvation is capable of strengthening every single disciple of Christ, that is, each one of us, so that our personal suffering, pain and even death can be seen and experienced as a victorious light of the eternal Easter. As such our deepest crisis, our most painful suffering, can become our greatest, real opportunity to achieve the greatest blessing of eternal life and eternal happiness, but only if we are true disciples of Christ. While in joint faith of the joint mission of Christ's Church we once again, this year, celebrate these holy days of suffering, death and glorious resurrection of our Saviour, from the depths of my heart I wish all my brother priests, nuns, theologians, seminarists and all the faithful of our diocese wherever you may be, as well as all our benefactors, friends and all people of good will, that God the Sufferer and Victorious Jesus Christ grant us his mercy and that in the light of his glorious resurrection we may humbly be convinced of God's will and experience this Good Friday of ours making us worthy of the immeasurable wealth and happiness to be experienced by the eternal Easter to which we are closer each day!
I call on God's blessing upon you all, in the Holy Trinity, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit!

 Your bishop, FRANJO

P.S. Please read this Easter message on Easter Sunday at all masses.
Bishop's Ordinary
Banja Luka

Message from the Bishop on the Feast of Pentecost
(Prot. no: 400/95 dated 31 May 1995)
GOD DOES NOT FORGET HIS OWN

 Dear brothers and sisters of the clergy,
dear people of God!
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merciful Father and the God who gives every possible encouragement; he supports us in every hardship, so that we are able to come to the support of others in every hardship of theirs because of the encouragement that we ourselves receive from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow into our lives so too does the encouragement we receive through Christ". (2 Cor 1:3-5)
As your brother by christening in the faith of Christ our Saviour, and by the duty received from His Church as your bishop, I feel close ties to you all by the most firm bond of the love of Christ's Godly heart!
With words of thanks to God the comforter, which St Paul said to the Christians in Corinth, from the bottom of my heart I wish to thank that same good God whose protective hand we feel and experience every day of our lives.
As members of Christ's Church, we are but limbs of his Body. Christ who was tortured, killed and then arose from the dead is our Godly Head. Because of our sins He had to suffer a most bitter pain and despite his innocence as the Son of God, he had to die for us. Jesus foresees a similar fate for each and everyone of his disciples and followers, "Disciple is not superior to teacher!" (Lk6:40). Jesus lets his disciples know that they too will drink from the bitter chalice of pain and suffering which He, being obedient to his Father's will, also drank (Mt 20:23). "If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too", (Jn 13:20) said Jesus. This means that because of our bodily bond to Christ, and life according to his commandments, we Christians must count on persecution and all forms of injustice and misfortune. However, God does not forget his own not even during their most difficult suffering! He gives them strength not to despair, but to accept their suffering as part of the suffering of his Godly Son, Jesus Christ, who suffered out of love towards our eternal salvation. Christ himself suffered in each of his disciples, in each Christian, in each one of us.
During these turbulent and testing days for our faith and belief in Christ's Gospel, which are a test of our confidence and love towards God, we do not feel alone, but rather united with each other in a bond, supporting each other! We constantly re-discover that many thousands and even millions of Christians, our brothers, sisters within our diocese and far beyond all over the world headed by St Peter's successor; the Holy Father, John Paul II, are united with us in prayer and Christian solidarity. Their support through their prayers can be felt by us all. Their prayers help us not to give up in spirit for our every day battle against evil which wishes to enslave our souls and lead us, God forbid, down the road of evil and destruction. Until now we have managed to ward off evil and not do evil unto others around us, but rather return evil with good deeds!
The latest heavy temptations to affect us are the satanic destruction in our places of homage in Petrićevac, Presnače, Trn and other places, the horrifying death of our priest, Friar Alojzije Filip and Sister Cecilija, the violent expulsion of our sisters from their convents in Bosanski Aleksandrovac and Nova Topola and the expulsion from their own homes of a multitude of our brothers and sisters from our parishes in Banja Luka, Petrićevac, Motike, Marija Zvijezda, Budžak, Barlovci, Presnače, Trn, Ivanjska and Šimići. These acts are directed against Christ's Church, against its head Jesus Christ and against us Christians as the limbs of His body.
It is evident that Satan himself is destroying Christ's kingdom in our homeland which until now has always shown it readiness to forgive and love towards all those around us. The Resurrected Christ, the Lord of heaven and earth, the judge of the living and the dead, guaranteed to his Church, which followed and listened to him, that, "The gates of the underworld can never overpower it" (Mt 16:18). For this reason not even we, despite the latest wave of expulsion faced by the Catholic Church in Banja Luka, have any reason to doubt that Christ's Holy Gospel will continue to be proclaimed in these regions! Jesus, our Godly Leader and Friend tells us, "There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom!" (Lk 12:32). He also tells us, "I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have hardship, but be courageous, I have conquered the world!" (Jn 16:33). And "Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest". (Mt 11:28)
Brothers and sisters whatever may happen to us in the future do not forget that the Almighty God is with us, the God who through his Son Jesus Christ clearly lets us know that there is room in his heart for us and that we have a place in his eternal home. With faith and confidence in his immeasurable love and protection we accept our latest cross of suffering and sacrifice and we are prepared to reject anything that is less valuable than salvation for our eternal soul! Let us continue in prayers of confidence to the Holy Trinity and our penance and vows, so that his holy wishes and ours may come true. May his Holy name be celebrated while our current suffering in union with Christ's suffering can bring peace and reconciliation amongst us all in our nations, diocese, homeland and in the entire world!
The Most Holy Virgin Mary, our good heavenly Mother and Helper, to whom we forward our daily prayers, will surely continue to protect us with her motherly love!
I call upon the blessing of God in the Holy Trinity for you all, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

+ Your bishop, FRANJO

 Banja Luka, on the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 31 May 1995.

Invitation to his faithful by the Bishop at the Novena to the Holy Lady
(Prot. no: 537/95 dated 5 August 1995)
OUR LADY WILL NOT IGNORE THE PRAYERS OF HER PEO­PLE

 Brothers and sisters,
dear faithful!
We are still faced with difficult circumstances and war calamities. Many hearts are filled with turbulence and fear. We all eagerly await and need help and comfort.
The most effective means against anxiety, fear and pessimism is prayer and confidence in God's presence in our lives.
It is very important that as believers of Christ we do not surrender to resignation because of long term suffering, but rather to firmly believe that our good God is on our side every day. It is with those who suffer unjustly that he foresees a way out with the victory of peace and a happy life in the future for all of us. We know that as human beings we are not passive creatures who just accept God's gifts. We are active factors in God's plan on this world. The most perfect means and basis for our correct and active participation in the realisation of God's plan is prayer.
Prayer has not been foreign to us until now. It has actually kept us together throughout the misfortunes and temptations placed before us during this war. Even now during this time of great uncertainty and the suffering we are faced with, we, as Christ's faithful, are expected to engage ourselves in new sincere and joint prayer.
Before us is the great Feast day of the Great Lady - the Assumption of Mary. The Most Holy Virgin Mary is the most loyal Advocate of the most lasting Protector of our nation. Throughout our entire turbulent history, our forefathers turned to her whenever they were faced with death. There has not been a time when our good heavenly Mother and holy Advocate - our Intercessor has ignored our cries and she will surely not do so today when we send our cries from this war torn land to the Queen of Peace, so that she may turn to her Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
United in faith and prayer with our other brothers and sisters - in our homeland and the world - I invite all members of this diocesan community to additional joint prayer throughout the period of the Novena to the GREAT LADY, from 6 to 15 August 199S. Wherever possible may our faithful be led by members of the Movement for the Rosary, and may they pray for conversion and peace, gathered together with their priest in praying the Rosary with appropriate prayers for peace. Whoever is not able to participate may pray within their own fami