Pope Francis chooses motto for visit to Sarajevo: Peace be with you!

The visit of Pope Francis to Bosnia and Herzegovina, planned for June 6, will be accompanied by the motto "Peace be with you" along with a stylized symbol that will combine a cross, a white dove as a symbol of peace, and a triangle symbolizing the borders of this country, announced on Tuesday in Sarajevo by the Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Cardinal Vinko Puljić, reports the news agency Patria. 

"The reason for the motto is that the Pope himself gave the impetus for it when announcing his arrival in Sarajevo, saying that he comes to encourage the peace-building process," said Cardinal Puljić.

He also recalled that the words "Peace be with you" were the first that the risen Christ addressed to his disciples.

"We live in uncertain and unpredictable times, and for the future we need precisely such encouragement," said the Archbishop of Vrhbosna.

He added that Catholics in BiH are especially looking forward to this encouragement, because they experience the Holy Father's visit primarily as support for them.

The logo, meanwhile, connects the center and the motto, so a solution was sought that incorporates the determinant of BiH as a state and the colors yellow, red, and blue. The dove of peace with an olive branch is a symbol of the universal desire for peace.

The authors of the motto and logo are Miroslav Šetka, a professor of visual arts at the Catholic School Center in Zenica, and Dragan Ivanković, a graphic and visual designer, also from Zenica.

Cardinal Puljić could not say exactly where the central Mass in Sarajevo will be held, adding that the final decision on the location lies with the protocol of the Holy See, and it will likely be made in early April.