Cardinal Pujic's Address to the Tenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

by Vinko Puljic

(H. Em. Card. Vinko Puljic Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Bosnia-Herzegovina 9-10-2001)

Today's man feels the urgent need for hope. The tragic events of the century we left behind underline this, like the various threats such as intolerance and indifference, rising over the horizon of this newly begun century. The problems that harass today's humanity are many and not easily resolved. The Church's concrete answer to these problems is the courageous and persevering proclamation of the Gospel of Christ and His message of forgiveness, of reconciliation and of peace; His message of peace for each individual and for all the Peoples.

The privileged witness of this message is the Bishop, a man who in virtue of being the authentic successor of the Apostles has placed himself at the service of the Gospel; a man who has become the teacher and the shepherd of the brothers, available for constant and trusting dialogue, joyful in his own vocation.

As pertains to the Church in BosniaHerzegovina, its Shepherds commit themselves, together with their priests, consecrated persons and faithful laity, to make their witness become the leaven of society and to make it possible to transmit the light of the Gospel into the economic, social and political realities of their Nation. While most of the consecrated persons operating on the territory of the local ecclesial districts remain faithful to the charism of their Institutes and commit themselves without reservation to the promotion of apostolic works, for the good of the Church and civic society; unfortunately, certain members of the Order of Franciscan Friars Minor and those expelled try to impose their own points of view in the individual Dioceses, substituting the authentic charisms of their Institute with pseudo-charisms, a serious threat for the Church and for her organizational and doctrinal unity. Suffice it to recall the sad events last summer when the protagonists of the aforementioned Order and a self-declared bishop: an oldstyle Catholic deacon expelled from his community, or a systematic disobedience to the same religious persons who for years have been in the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno.

Today, we can painfully see that the world is divided. This division concerns various sectors and has various origins. Unfortunately, there are also divisions in the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ and the universal sacrament of salvation. There is a growing consciousness that division veils the gaze toward the future.

Overcoming the divisions existing in the Church and in today's world offers a special charge of hope to today's humanity. The Church must not remain divided and is called to being one, holy, Catholic and apostolic; she is called to be communion and remaining united on the local as well as the universal level, always with the Successor of Peter at her head. Thanks to the Gospel, the Church presents herself to the world as a vital force capable of making it more united. Ecumenical dialogue reacquires a new impetus. The same can be said about interreligious dialogue.

Europe can no longer be divided into Eastern and Western Europe. The world cannot remain divided between North and South, between rich and developed nations and poor and underdeveloped nations. The Nations cannot continue to be divided into civil Nations and Nations considered uncivil.

The answer to the divisions in today's world is the sincere dialogue between nations and peoples. No matter what the theme or the reason for dialogue, both sides are always involved. There can be no dialogue if one of the parts is not an active participant.

A great contribution to the commitment for overcoming the existing divisions could be given particularly through the means of social communication, which are capable of also being the privileged means for the proclamation of the Gospel. Those who work with these means and those who direct them have a great responsibility.

© L'Osservatore Romano, Editorial and Management Offices, Via del Pellegrino, 00120, Vatican City, Europe, Telephone 39/6/698.99.390.

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