Topić: Croats can live unhindered in Sarajevo, I invite them to move here

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Honorary President of HKD Napredak Franjo Topić, on the eve of the Catholic holiday of Christmas, speaks about the current situation in BiH, the life of Catholics in Sarajevo, 

„The situation is complicated, but you know, nothing has succeeded in Bosnia, so neither will the crisis. Here, the situation is mostly viewed through politics, the government, and that determines our public opinion. I would rather look at other things. It is a shame that quarrels are being introduced. Quarrels will not bring any good. It poisons people, and if a person is poisoned, it will be difficult for them to act well,“ says Franjo Topić. 

Speaking about politicians who bring quarrels, Professor Topić recalled the time when he was considered a Croatian nationalist. That was a time when today's nationalists, as he says, were Yugoslavs and long-standing communists. 

„It would be important for sociologists to theoretically process how former communists, who were staunch communists, became staunch nationalists. But that is for the sake of power, you know. God forbid communism returns, they would probably be communists again,“ wonders the honorary president of HKD Napredak, Franjo Topić. 

False image of people quarreling

The honorary president of HKD Napredak tells the population in BiH that war and an atmosphere of conflict must be avoided at all costs. War, according to Topić, is in the head and heart, not just the act of shooting. He is pleased to know that despite everything happening, the peoples are not quarreling, and the atmosphere of conflict is fueled by political parties.

„It is particularly sensitive here because the parties are mostly national. And when parties quarrel, it appears as if the peoples are quarreling. And let us be clear, the majority of people are not interested in that at all. For most people, the most important things are bread and a roof. And then peace. I will repeat a thought that has been dear to me since the war. Peace is not everything, but without peace, everything is nothing.“

Franjo Topić emphasizes that the two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina are not a good solution, and that everyone knows this, „from Biden to the last grandmother here.“ He sees the solution in the cantonization of the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina, which he advocated for at the time of negotiating the Washington Agreement, but after the Dayton Agreement, it became unfeasible.

„There must be a combined democracy. That means respecting human rights, individual rights, regardless of whether someone has their own nation or something else personal, but also national rights,“ believes Franjo Topić.

One can live in Bosnia as a Croat and as a Catholic

The former head of Napredak believes that Croats in BiH are not threatened, and he documents this with figures on educational institutions. He points out that Croats here have 95 Croatian primary schools, 46 high schools, two universities, two daily newspapers, and a number of smaller newspapers. HKD Napredak alone publishes four newspapers. All Croats in Germany, says Topić, have one newspaper, a Catholic church newspaper, and nothing more. 

„And then they come and say how we have nothing here... Every party would like at least 100 percent of power. When it doesn't have it, it becomes frustrated and then transfers that through the media and other means to the people. That creates negative opinion. One can live here as a Croat and as a Catholic and all others, Bosniak, Serb, and we can live decently, well, and have human relations,“ believes Franjo Topić. 

In Sarajevo, Topić claims, Croats can live unhindered. There is the seat of the archdiocese, the province (Bosnia Srebrena, ed.), five types of sisters, Napredak has its seat in Sarajevo, the Catholic School Center. 

„Some Croats are under the impression that one cannot live in Sarajevo, and I repeat: No general interests can be defended or promoted without the capital city... Sarajevo is very important. Sarajevo has become the 'European Jerusalem' and from that perspective, I think it is a shame to withdraw. I invite Croats who can to move here. We have Croats who come to work here every day from Travnik, Vitez. That is pointless. That is a minimum of three, four hours in the car. You get tired, you lose half your working time in the car. Instead of moving here,“ says Professor Topić for BHRT.

Whoever does not respect the dead does not respect the living either

Franjo Topić claims that no normal person should support war criminals and that one crime should not be justified by other crimes. 

„Victims must be respected. A mother who lost two sons or a father, everything is dead to them. For what, faith, nation, state, that is completely secondary to them. Whoever does not respect the dead does not respect the living either. And you cannot calculate around that. I know it is not easy to admit one's own crimes, it is not easy to repent, that is completely humanly understandable, but it cannot be supported,“ Franjo Topić is categorical.

Topić advocates for ecumenism and dialogue, and sees BiH as a theological place and persistently works on their development.

„If ecumenism does not succeed here, it will not succeed or it will significantly harm interreligious dialogue and ecumenism throughout the world,“ believes Topić.