BUILD UP NEW RELATIONS OF FRATERNITY AND UNDERSTANDING

VATICAN CITY, JUN 22, 2003 (VIS) - After meeting with three members of the Collegial Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina in the airport at Banja Luka, the Pope went by popemobile to the convent of the Most Holy Trinity on Petricevac Hill, where he celebrated the Eucharist and beatified Servant of God Ivan Merz in the presence of 50,000 people.

Among those present at the Mass were three members of the Collegial Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the president of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia, political and civil authorities, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, archbishop of Vrhbosna, Sarajevo and the bishops of Bosnia.

The Gospel was sung in Ukrainian as a large group of Catholics of the Byzantine rite, born in the Ukraine, live in the region of Banja Luka.

In the homily, the Pope sent a "fraternal greeting" to His Beatitude Patriarch Pavle and to members of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He also greeted the faithful of the Jewish and Islamic communities as well as pilgrims from different parts of the world and neighboring nations.

"From this city," said the Pope, "marked in the course of history by so much suffering and bloodshed, I ask Almighty God to have mercy for the sins committed, also by the sons and daughters of the Catholic Church, against humanity, human dignity and freedom, and to foster in all the desire for mutual forgiveness. Only in a climate of true reconciliation will the memory of so many innocent victims and their sacrifice not be in vain, but will encourage everyone to build new relationships of fraternity and understanding."

Speaking about Blessed Ivan Merz, a layman who was born in Banja Luka in 1896 and died in 1928, John Paul II affirmed: "A gifted young man, he made a good return on his rich natural talents and obtained great human success." The reason why he is part of "the choir of the Blesseds," he added, "is his success in God's eyes. The great aspiration of his whole life was 'never to forget God, to desire always to be one with him'."

After emphasizing that Blessed Merz was "one of the principal promotors of the liturgical renewal in his country," the Pope indicated that by participating in the Holy Mass "he drew the inspiration to become an apostle of young people. It was not by chance that he chose as his motto 'Sacrifice, Eucharist, Apostolate'."

"The name Ivan Merz has meant in the past a program of life and of activity for an entire generation of young Catholics. Today too it must do the same! Your country and your Church, dear young people, have experienced difficult times and now there is a need to work together so that life on all levels will fully return to normal." The Holy Father then invited them "not to yield to the temptation to become discouraged, but rather to multiply initiatives which will make Bosnia-Herzegovina once more a land of reconciliation, encounters and peace."

"The future of this land depends also on you!" exclaimed John Paul II. "Do not seek a more comfortable life elsewhere, do not flee from your responsibilities and expect others to resolve problems, but resolutely counter evil with the power of good. Like Blessed Ivan, strive for a personal encounter with Christ which sheds new light on life. May the Gospel be the great ideal guiding your approaches and your decisions!"

The Pope closed by affirming: "May the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, keep your heart and your spirit in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ! This is the prayer and the wish which, through the intercession of Blessed Ivan Merz, the Pope today offers for you and for all the peoples of Bosnia-Herzegovina."

At the end of the Mass, before praying the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted the faithful present in German, Hungarian, Italian, Serbian and Croatian and asked Our Lady to obtain from her Son "the grace of preserving the integrity of your faith, the firmness of your hope, and at all times the fervor of your charity."

After the beatification, the Pope went to the bishop's residence in Banja Luka where he ate lunch with the bishops of Bosnia-Herzegovina and cardinals and bishops from his entourage.

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