Translated by: Ksenija Ninić

The Mass celebration on March 13th, on the fifth anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, was led by the president of the BK BiH Cardinal Vinko Puljić, the Archbishop of Vrbosna, and the appropriate sermon was said by the President of HBK Msgr. Želimir Puljić, Archbishop of Zadar. Among the concelebrating were members of two Bishop’s Conferences, the apostolic nuncio in BiH, Luigi Pezzuto, and numerous other priests, with the presence of a large number of believers.

”With this evening holy mass we want, in a special way, to pray in unity for the Holy Father, who was elected for Pope on this day five years ago. Therefore, in our own way, this is our unity with the Pope, the Successor of Peter”, said Cardinal Puljić at the beginning of the Mass, and then greeted and welcomed the present. “We are here together as a Church of BiH and Croatia, praying for Pope, but also for our people to remain faithful to God and the Church in all the temptations we are going through”, said the president of the BK BiH.

The Homily of the President of HBK was in the sign of the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis's election. According to him, he has always been a shepherd of the poor and the voice of those who have no voice, without running away from people or problems. He also mentioned the thoughts of Vaticanist, Luigi Accattoli, who wrote that Pope Francis was “the greatest reformer of the Church in the past hundred years” and recalled the messages of the Pontiff’s exhortation, Joy of the gospel.

”His exhortation, Joy of the gospel, actually shows a reformer in action. There, already in number 25, he announces that ‘things can not be left to flow’, but one should start pastoral and missionary reconstruction and transformation”, so those who ‘seek God should not come to the coldness of the closed doors’ (no 27). And he adds with a tone of sadness that Christians often behave as ‘grace’ controllers. And the Church is not customs department but a father's home where there is room for everyone (no. 47). In that context, he repeatedly said that he favors the ‘ruined Church that went out into the street, rather than dealing with it, and seizing it in protocol knots.’ And his ardent wish is for it to ‘actively evangelize with renewed forces’ and stands defending human dignity and builds a peaceful coexistence among peoples, as well as care for the preservation of the created world (No. 257). That is why he calls and encourages Christians to be 'signs of hope and to realize the revolution of gentleness and goodness' (No. 88) which we need as air and water”, reminded Msgr. Puljić of the teachings of the Holy Father.

According to his words, even if he said or wrote nothing else, but this exhortation that is marked with joyful style and numerous encouragements, it would be enough for the fifth anniversary to say, “Thank God for the reform Pope.” “With his words, incentives and gestures, he encourages us ‘not to allow stealing of our enthusiasm’ (No.80), as well as ‘the hope and joy of evangelization’ (No. 83). He particularly invites Christians not to let others 'steal the spirit of unity and fraternal love' (No. 109). May the time before us, led by the reformer Pope Francis, be blessed as well” said at the end of the sermon the Archbishop of Zadar,.