20150608-bWe are breathing an air of peace,” Cardinal Puljic had exclaimed on the vigil of the Pope’s arrival. The city was expecting him with much joy and had begun preparing for his visit several months in advance. Rumuors that had put the security on guard were put to rest by the concerted preparatory efforts Church and State working in harmony. This effort and the willingness of the citizens in following the rules allowed everything to turn out quite well.” Sarajevo, the city that John Paull II called the European Jerusalem was festively awaiting sthe Pope.

Peace be with you was the motto of the Pope’s visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, “a land tested by conflicts, the latest of which is still very present in the memory of “Bosnians, Serbs and Croats,” as Novi Svijet Gina Perkov (Croatia) writes. “The war has indeed had tragic consequences: death, destruction and the exile of so many people. The number of Catholics (primarily Croation) has been reduced by half.”

The population was grateful that, this time, the eyes of the world were fixed on them for a happy reason, and hopeful that this fact might help in resolving several political questions; one being that “several EU countries are culpable for having permitted and assisted the ethinic cleansing,” as attested to in a recent book by Bishop Franjo Komarica, Bishop of Banja Luka, Serb Republic.

During the Eucharistic Celebration at the Olympic Stadium of Kosevo in the presence of 70 thousand people – 23 thousand of them, Croation – the Pope offered a strong message of peace. “Peace is the dream of God, the plan of God for humankind. . . Today, the cry once more arises from the people of God and from all people of good will: War never again! Making peace is an artisanal task: it requires passion, patience, experience, tenacity. Blessed are they who sow peace through their daily actions, with attitudes and gestures of service, fraternity, dialogue, forgiveness. . . Peace is the work of justice. . . practiced, lived out justice. True justice is doing to the other person, to the other people, what I would want to be done to me, to my people. Peace is a gift from God, because it is the fruit of his reconciliation with us. . . Today let us together ask the Lord for a simple heart, for the grace of patience,” he concluded.

In the afternoon, Pope Francis met at the cathedral with priests, men and women Religious and consecrated people and, in the end, with young people. The Focolare Movement offered gifts to the Pope and attended all the moments of encounter.

20150608-aThe spirituality of unity arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1975 through several young people who had attended the Mariapolis of Zagabria, Croatia. In 1992, war broke out: countless were lost, destruction, death and refugees. Many, many people fled to the different countries of Europe. There was a huge effort to continue to support those who had stayed behind, but since roads were closed only a few letters and foodstuffs were able to reach the people.
Through the love of the people who lived the spirituality of unity, many Muslims and Christians found a point of encounter in the Ideal of unity. When the war ended and they returned to Bosnia, they themselves became the bearers and witnesses of this new spirit.

“At the beginning of 1996 it finally possible to go to them, in spite of the war,” say some witnesses to the events. We were met by rubble everywhere, crumbling houses, armoured vehicles, constant police surveilance and, once in a while, an exploding grenade. . . The city of Sarajevo was treeless because they had all been burned by the people who tried to warm themselves during the freezing winters.”

The first spark of the Ideal of unity that had been welcomed by several people many years earlier, and treasured in their hearts, burst into flames during the war among a people marked by suffering, in need of so many things, who were able to intuit what was essential, thirsty for something true. They were Catholics, but also Muslims and Orthodox, all of them grateful for the discovery of God-Love which had transformed their lives.

The current situation Bosnia is still unresolved. The Catholics emigrate, especially the young, and their is fear of future conflict. The Focolare community draws its strength from unity, a small sign of that unity which was desired by John Paul II in 1997 when he visited and wished for Sarajevo that after the war, it would become the convincing model of the third millenium.

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