Josip Vajdner

While Bosnian and Herzegovinian and to it related neighboring public are awaiting the last two ICTY judgments of indictees for war crimes in B&H, Katolički tjednik marks its 15th anniversary of uninterrupted publishing after its reopening in 2002. The exact date when the first number saw the light of day – November 24th, falls on the time between these two events: Ratko Mladić on November 22nd, and a week after, the BH Croatian 6 (Jadranko Prlić, Slobodan Praljak, Bruno Stojić, Milivoj Petković, Valentin Ćorić and Berislav Pušić). This also is a way to show that these newspapers, with a Catholic character, live within this complex reality. Throughout this past time, it witnessed a number of socio-political turbulences and church movements, being marked by the pontificate of three Popes: St. John Paul II. (until April 2nd, 2005), great Benedict XVI (April 19th, 2005 - February 28th, 2013), and merciful Francis (March 13th, 2013) who showed us his love by visiting BiH on June 6th, 2015. Also, the internal fluctuation of the “staff”, the “closed door” with a certain number of priests and to God devoted persons, and the all present material crisis, have produced the fact that Katolički tjednik is the most similar to the people of this area who are indeed the real artists in survival.

It should be emphasized that there is continuity of thought expressed, for example, for the fifth and tenth anniversary of the revival, which already shows its validity

As such, listening to every single week the pulse of ordinary, primarily Croatian, Catholic, person, with its appearance and content just reflected its constitution. In public, it remained proud, clean and tidy, but faced many problems of existential nature within its four walls. This can eventually be recognized in the type of paper on which it is printed. Throughout 783 issues, the number of the issues printed from 2002. until today, it never morally mistaken, never propagated hatred towards others, it never succumbed to liberal relativism that is creeping into the Church as well, but at the same time it did not remain in the past without recognizing the necessity of “reading the signs of time”.

It should be emphasized that there is continuity of thought expressed, for example, for the fifth and tenth anniversary of the revival, which already shows its validity. This is recognized in the words that “the years of communist ban until 2002. were the time when the Church in BiH was to a great extent ‘terra incognita’ for the general public” and that “besides the epithets ‘Catholic’, an important part of this media is ‘Croatian’ as well”. After five years of renewed existence, it was written: “By celebrating this little jubilee, we can promise to retain the same direction by trying to respond to the demands of our readers and the need to spread the message of Christ to ‘the city and the world’, in which the soul of this country and Catholics in it will be felt.” The same thing was said on the tenth anniversary: ​​“What Tjednik is trying to do and what will be one of its tasks in the future is the creation of the Croatian identity rooted in the Bosnian and Herzegovinian biotopes.” And above all, it is still true today: “... no matter what, and even with the fact that it is treated as an orphan by many sides, Tjednik continues to live and fulfill its mission.”

The thing that always rejoices and gives strength to overcome new challenges in journalist profession, which is considered a “nine-crust bread” and which is being realized here in a not thankful life context at all, is the fact that there is a considerable number of those who love Katolički tjednik and recognize its value in the light of the new evangelization. For those, it is clear that printed media is the only “dam” for superficiality and instant knowledge that is being served through all the propaganda of “free minded” portals and that the Catholic newspapers can not be lead by the principle of profit at any cost. In that manner, it should be repeated that one of the basic parameters of a priest's success, and with that their appointment to the parishes, must be the answer to the question: how much does he support Katolički tjednik as a tool by which he, as a local shepherd of souls, comes every week to every family. Also, the necessity of educating young people - especially future priests and monks and nuns - to be able to use the means of social communication is obvious, not to run away from them or to behave as if they are the owners of time. Viewed only from mathematical value, from renewal to today, 783 issues of these newspapers came to the readers' hands. How much of its content has led to success in building a better world, only the dear Lord knows, but if the contribution was millimeter big, it means that all the effort and work had paid off: let God reward all those who in any way contributed to it!