Breakfast Forum
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Washington, D.C.
February 21,1997
1. It is a pleasure to return to the Carnegie Endowment as a guest of Ambassador Abramowitz to speak to you about the situation in the Archdiocese of Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzeg6vina more generally. The contrast between 1994 and now is striking. In 1994, we were in the middle of a brutal siege; today, the war has stopped and we are enjoying at least a semblance of peace. In 1994, the Catholic Church in my Archdiocese was on the verge of extinction; today, we are slowly reviving our parish life, we have just reopened our seminary, we have started three Catholic schools and hope to start a fourth soon, and, we will be opening a Catholic hospital, if I am able to raise the remaining funds necessary for its operation.
The new situation in my country is due, in large measure, to U.S. diplomacy, reconstruction aid, and troops; and numerous initiatives by a host of nongovernmental groups who are playing a decisive role in helping the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina return to a normal life. For that I and the Catholic community in my archdiocese are most grateful.
2. As you knoW well, despite the manifest improvement in our situation, a stable, lasting and just peace remains a distant dream. Despite all those killed, raped, and forced from their homes, despite the ravaged countryside, too many leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina -- with tacit or open support of outside powers -- are still preaching a politics of partition, chauvinistic nationalism and ethnic hatred. Instead of learning how to celebrate our differences, political leaders are still preaching an idolatry of difference -- that the only way my ethnic, religious, or nationalist candle can burn bright is to extinguish yours. This idolatry has already led to fratricide. How can peace be built on the same foundation? Only a politics of reconciliation, built on a truly multi-ethnic, multi-religious, united Bosnia and Herzegovina, can provide a secure basis for a just and lasting peace.
3. The Catholic Bishops of Bosnia and Herzegovina have welcomed the peace that the Dayton Accords have brought to our country. We have been concerned, however, that in their design and implementation, they not serve as the basis for further partition along ethnic and religious lines. We firmly believe that it is possible and essential that we rebuild a democratic, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, united country. This can be achieved, however, only if the United States government and the international community take more decisive and credible action to implement the civilian aspects of the Dayton Accords. Unless more is done soon, the partition of Bosnia will be cemented and the extremism and extremists that brought us war will become further entrenched.
4. Three elements of a just peace require urgent attention. First, the equal rights of all ethnic groups must be guaranteed; minorities in all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina should be able to look toward a future in which, despite their minority status, they are able to flourish in their religious, cultural and ethnic identity. Restoring a truly multi-ethnic, multi-religious Sarajevo -- and Bosnia as a whole -- will require much greater attention on the part of the United States and the international community to the needs of minorities. Second, in order to move toward such a future, all persons must be able to return safely to their homes. The Church is helping to promote this process of return by having as many of our priests return to their original homes and parishes as possible. Unfortunately, this remains impossible in many -areas, especially in the Serb Republic. Third, the right of return must~be coordinated with economic reconstruction, which is vital to a return to a normal life and society, where we are no longer dependent upon outside assistance. Thousands of former Sarajevans, for example, would like to return, but their homes are occupied, usually by members of other minority groups who have lost their homes. That is why priority must be given to the reconstruction of private homes.
5. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, members of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Islamic faiths have been living together for centuries. Unfortunately, instead of seeing these religious differences as mutually enriching, some elements in society, especially the media, continue to manipulate differences to foment mutual antagonism. I am working hard within my own church as well as with other religious leaders to offer a different vision for the future. The Catholic Bishops have issued major pastoral letters, one just two weeks ago, urging interfaith collaboration and mutual respect. I am also working with Islamic, Serbian Orthodox, and Jewish leaders on a number of initiatives, including an elaborate process of drafting a statement on shared beliefs and values. In these and many other ways, the religious communities are assuming their shared responsibility for building a just peace.
6. This mutual responsibility for peace will be a theme of Pope John Paul il's long-awaited visit to Sarajevo on April 13. The Pope's visit will bring new and welcome international attention to our current situation. Moreover, his visit will strengthen the faith of the Catholic community, and will be an impetus for our communities to respect the differences among us while focusing anew on all that we share in common.
In closing, I would like to thank you for your continuing interest in our situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and for all you are doing to help us see the way through to a just and lasting peace. Please do not tire of helping us until we have safely achieved that long-desired end.
NEW YORK TIMBS
THURSDAY, MARCH 6,1997