Bishops called on politicians to behave responsibly: People are afraid of whether shooting will start

(Patria) - Bishops in Bosnia and Herzegovina warned on Friday that politicians in that country are inciting fear among ordinary people with irresponsible statements and actions, and called for an immediate end to such practices, and for problems to be resolved through sincere dialogue.

During the regular session of the Bishops' Conference of BiH, held in Sarajevo, the bishops adopted a joint statement calling on politicians to behave responsibly in order to prevent further deterioration of the situation in the country, which is experiencing the most severe political crisis since the signing of the Dayton Agreement.

The crisis was caused by disputes over amendments to the Election Law, as well as the actions of the authorities of Republika Srpska, led by Milorad Dodik, which call into question the survival of some key state institutions and could jeopardize the functioning of BiH as a state.

The Catholic Church bishops assessed that the disputes that have arisen because of this have dangerously complicated the situation in the country.

“We call on all those who participate in government and make decisions as elected representatives, and all those who shape the media space, to refrain from harsh words and insults and to respect the individual and collective rights of people, constituent peoples, and minority groups. We also expect representatives of the international community to offer their assistance in order to establish social harmony, find a just electoral system, and implement necessary constitutional and legal reforms,” the statement reads.

The bishops emphasized that the reforms they are calling for are necessary for justice in the country, as well as to eliminate any legal and actual possibility of outvoting, manipulation, and domination, and to find a legal system and solution that will ensure respect for human rights and dignity, in which every people and minority group will elect their own representatives.

“Dialogue is the only morally acceptable way that elected representatives must follow in negotiations to find solutions. This is also necessary for correcting injustices and creating a sense of security,” the bishops assessed.

Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Cardinal Vinko Puljić, told reporters after the session of the Bishops' Conference that everyone, including himself, has reason to be concerned about the situation in the country.

“How can I not be concerned when people are afraid of whether shooting will start?” Cardinal Puljić said angrily, adding that “only a fool would want war.”

According to him, the bishops based their statement and call to politicians on the social teaching of the Church, which emphasizes that dialogue is one of the fundamental conditions for reaching an agreement.

“Whoever is not capable of dialogue had best leave,” said Cardinal Puljić, adding that human dignity and human as well as collective rights, such as the equality of people and peoples, must be protected.

The Coadjutor Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Tomo Vukšić, joined the Cardinal's assessments, emphasizing that all serious people share concerns about irresponsible statements, which he compared to a “slap of harsh words.”

“This is not necessary for anyone and does not create anything good, so the first step should be to stop this verbal storm and to seriously resolve the still unresolved issues,” said Archbishop Vukšić.