JOHN PAUL II WELCOMES NEW AMBASSADOR FROM BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2002 (VIS) - John Paul II today received the Letters of Credence of Ivan Misic, the new ambassador from Bosnia-Herzegovina to the Holy See and, in welcoming remarks to the diplomat in his native language, the Pope recalled his pastoral visit to Sarajevo in 1997, shortly after the end of the war that racked that region.

The Pope confirmed his "closeness to the beloved peoples of Bosnia-Herzegovina who have not only undergone a political system based on an ideology in contrast with the values inscribed in the human spirit, but also a long and painful war." He noted that the Washington Accord and the Dayton Accords "caused arms to be silent. However there is need to work together intensely to build a peace in justice and to make it work, resolving problems linked to the country's future" such as "the question of refugees and the exiled."

He stated that, in building the country, concrete programs are necessary "that start with the person and respect his dignity, that offer possibilities for work, ... that promote dialogue and collaboration" throughout society.

The Holy Father declared that "democracy is a demanding duty, that calls for morality, honesty, human sensitivity, wisdom, patience, respect for others, willingness to compromise every time the common good calls for it, and a firm will to put forth but not impose one's points of view and ideas. Such a duty is even more demanding in multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina."

The Pope called for "true reconciliation and sincere pardon," saying that "one cannot erase the memory of what has happened in the past but one can and must free the heart from rancor and vendetta." He said that remembering warns us not to repeat errors." He added that "the Church in Bosnia-Herzegovina is already at work and offering its contribution to reconciliation and pardon. ... (She) also is trying to promote the formation of the new generations through schools open to whoever wishes" to attend.

He noted that a just society is one that will "repudiate every temptation to favor one individual to the detriment of others, ... (and) is ready to assure everyone of effective equality and is attentive to respecting rights, freedoms and the identity of each one."

Pope John Paul then turned to the "drama of the many refugees and exiled persons who wish to return home, ... who are denied the right to live serenely in their native land. ... Such persons justly ask for guarantees for their safety, as well as the creation of acceptable political, social and economic conditions. They also ask for the restitution of the goods of which they were deprived by violent means during the war."

He stressed that no problem must be solved with violence, or with harm to defenseless people, adding that there must be "the will to repair and correct the injustices committed through opportune political and economic interventions at both the local and institutional levels." He said he hoped the international community would offer the necessary assistance and aid.

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