Original scientific paper
ATTITUDES AND ACTIVITIES OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CROATIA DURING 1995 (DURING AND AFTER THE CROATIAN LIBERATION OPERATIONS “THE FLASH“ AND “THE STORM“)
Julija Barunčić Pletikosić
; Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
This paper presents a chronological summary of work and activities of the Catholic Church in Croatia during 1995, through the analysis of original documents, official statements and press releases of the Catholic Church, primarily the Croatian Bishops’ Conference (CBC) as the official representative body of the Catholic Church bishops in Croatia, as well as personal statements and sermons of the Church leaders, especially Cardinal Franjo Kuharić, but also other Croatian bishops, then the Catholic press (Voice of the Council, Official Journal of the Zagreb Archdiocese) and other relevant literature. The centre of discussion takes liberation operations of the Croatian army and police „the Flash“ and „the Storm“, and the attitudes of the Catholic Church to these events, under the general doctrine of the Catholic Church, which was referred to by the Church in Croatia. There is a listing and the analysis of the most important statements and the official statements of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference, as well as the most important parts of sermons and statements by Cardinal Kuharić and other Croatian bishops, in which the representatives of the Church in Croatia comment on political causes that led to the undertaking of military operations, their course and what was the most important from the perspective of the Church, to the consequences of these military operations through which the largest part of the Croatian occupied territory was liberated. In accordance with the general teaching of the Catholic Church on taking military actions and operations, i.e. (un)justification of taking such military actions, which is contained in the Pastoral Constitution Joy and Hope adopted by the Second Vatican Council in 1965 (and mentions the principle of moral justification to military action and the principle of self-defence), the Catholic Church in Croatia also advocated the position that military action/operation is justified if it is taken in defence of the rights, freedom and peace. The Republic of Croatia was the victim of the Serbian aggression, therefore this principle of self-defence could not be denied in this case. The Croatian church leadership in their press releases and statements regarding “the Storm“ emphasized the causes that led to the military operation “the Storm“, and in this regard, asserted the justification of such operation with the aim of liberating the occupied territories, since all the efforts and endeavours on the Croatian side for the peaceful termination of the war in Croatia had been and remained unsuccessful. Thus the decision of the Croatian state leadership on undertaking the military operations was considered legitimate and moral, primarily due to the return of expatriate and exiled Church believers and all other citizens of the Republic of Croatia to their homes. Likewise, in their statements and press releases, the Croatian bishops spoke about the problem of the departure of the Serbian population from the liberated areas, which they considered the sole consequence of the so-called Krajina leadership’s policy, and they advocated justice and equality for members of all nations and minorities on the territory of the Republic of Croatia, which they believed to be the basic precondition of peace and peaceful coexistence of all its citizens.
Keywords
the Catholic Church; the Homeland War; Serbian Aggression; “the Flash“; “the Storm“; Franjo Kuharić; Croatian Bishops’ Conference
Hrčak ID:
154369
URI
Publication date:
21.12.2015.
Visits: 2.237 *