To: Multiple recipients of list ASSISI-L CATHOLIC PRESS AGENCY Kaptol 4, 10 000 Zagreb, Hrvatska (Croatia) tel. .. 385 (1) 27 26 07, fax .. 385 (1) 27 31 51 CONFERENTIA EPISCOPORUM CROATIAE 10000 ZAGREB, Kaptol 22, tel (385 01) 45 48 93 fax 45 48 94 Zagreb, June 8, 1995 The most reverend Msgr. Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See, Dean of the Diplomatic Council Their Excellencies the Honorable Ambassadors of France Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, The United States of America, Spain, and the Representative of United Nations in the Republic of Croatia - Zagreb Your Excellencies: The members of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and the members of the Conference of Bishops of Bosnia and Herzegovina at a joint session held in Zagreb on June 6 - 8, 1995, apprised of the desperate state of the Catholic parishioners, priests and their Bishop Franjo Komarica in the Banja Luka diocese in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are sending you the following urgent Appeal: For three years, there have been persecution and genocide of the Croatian Catholic population in the Banja Luka diocese. The bishop has tirelessly sent petitions to the Holy See, political representatives of individual countries and humanitarian organizations in the world, pointing out the intolerable injustices and crimes that continue to be inflicted against innocent, unprotected and disenfranchised Catholics. The tragedy is even greater because these Catholics from the very beginning of the war have offered no armed resistance whatsoever to their persecutors, except their clear consciences and desires for a peaceful life and the right to remain on the land their ancestors have occupied for centuries. In recent weeks, the Catholics in the territory of the Banja Luka region have been subjected to the most violent persecutions thus far, as if someone wanted to give the death blow to the presence of the Catholic Church in this area. All these actions have convinced us that there is an intentional and planned attempt in progress to uproot the entire Catholic population from what has been for many centuries their home, from entirely Catholic and Croatian settlements in the northern periphery of Banja Luka. We list the endangered Catholic parishes and settlements: - in the parish of Petricevac: Petricevac, Sargovac, Rakovac, Vujnovici, Novakovici: - in the parish of Motike: Motike and Civicje; - in the parish of Budzak: Budzak and Dervisi; - in the parish of Marija Zvijezda: Prijecani, Cesma, and Madjir; - in the parish of Barlovci: Barlovci, Kuljani, Zaluzani, Ojdanici, Orlovac, Dikevci, Stranjani, Matosevci; - in the parish of Ivanjska: Abrici, Brdjani, Cerici, Dvorani, Gagrice, Gradina, Kozara, Mamenice, Milosevici, Radinjaca, Ruzici, Tarasevac, Valentici, Vucica Gaj, Vukovici, Zabari; - in the parish of Trn: Trn, Bukovica and Jablan; - in the parish of Simici: Novi Simici, Kose, Srednji Simici, Stari Simici, Uzari, Torlak and Micije. In the past few days, the violence has escalated. Catholic families have been expelled from hundreds of homes and the rest are subjected to daily pressure to abandon their homes. This violence is not only being perpetrated by numerous armed groups that go unhindered from house to house but by official representatives of the local communities and the local radio and television. The harsh physical mistreatment of old and ill persons is a daily occurrence. After all the genocidal measures in the territory of Banja Luka region, out of 80,000 Catholics only 20,000 still remain who are now being threatened with annihilation. We are all witnesses that in this region, as many other places in Bosnia and Herzegovina, all the Charters and Declarations of human, religious rights and civil liberties are being trampled. We again ask ourselves whether it is possible that world politics is truly so powerless in the face of such Serbian persecution and genocide inflicted against the non-Serbian population. Is it possible that not even you are permitted to visit Banja Luka to confirm the truth of these tragic data? Profoundly embittered by the violation of all the human, religious and national rights of our fellow brothers in the Banja Luka diocese and appalled by the ineffectiveness of world diplomacy in stopping this horror, we nevertheless believe that Your Excellencies can successfully intercede with your governments to stop the genocide and persecution, so the persecuted can return and just peace can prevail. While we fervently appeal to you and your governments, we pray to the Almighty God to give the persecuted the necessary strength to effect the conversion of the persecutors into people who will respect human rights, and to bestow light and strength upon the responsible politicians in their decisions and acts. Respectfully yours, Franjo cardinal Kuharic Archbishop of Zagreb President Croatian Conference of Bishops Vinko cardinal Puljic Archbishop of Sarajevo President Bishops' Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina