Actual everyday life of Bosnia and Herzegovina says that, out of four official state holidays at least two of them are not recognized on the whole territory of the country. Independence day (March 1^st)  and National day (November 25^th) are not marked in the part called Republic of Srpska, and with that, New Year (January 1^st and 2^nd) have their “appendix” in the “Orthodox” New Year, January 1^st according to Julian calendar, or on the other side Muharrem 1^st with Muslims according to Hijri calendar. Anyway, only the Labour day, May Day (May 1^st) is celebrated work free in the whole country.

Except adversities caused by the last war in the 90’s, dates and names that came of them, and that are not according to someone’s “truth”, this territory inherits the unfortunate destiny of Communist past with which – basically because of the lack of signs of better future – we still haven’t dealt with.

Except the troubles caused by the last war, from the 90’s, and days and names that come from that era and are not according to someone’s “truth”, this territory inherits the unfortunate destiny of the Communist past with which – basically because of no sight of a better future – we still haven’t dealt with. Illustrative and filled with symbolic is the example of the capital – Sarajevo, that marks its day on April 6^th and names the same way its most important award given to the contributing individuals.

Said date refers to the year 1945 when on that day, one criminal regime rounded in Fascism and Nazism fell, and another in the shape and misdeeds of Communism was established.

But, in Bosnia and Herzegovina many are still blind and do not realise that Communism was not only godless but also inhumane system. That is why there are still today streets that carry names of the Communist criminals, firstly Josip Broz Tito.

However, luckily, the value of the truth is not lessened by someone closing their eyes so they can’t see it or closes their ears not to hear it. United Europe, that BiH declaratively aspires to, loud and clear, with Fascism and Nazism, condemned the Communism as well.

Of it speaks the Resolution of the European Council 1481/2006 from January 25^th 2006., where the need of the international condemnation of the totalitarian Communist regimes was emphasized;

Then, the Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism from June 3^rd 2008., that started the European day of remembrance of the victims of Stalinism and Communism, that was voted out on September 23^rd 2008. by the members of the European parliament and is marked every year on August 23^rd;

Further on, Resolution of the European parliament on European conscience and totalitarianism from April 2^nd 2009. that in a certain way unites all that; and for example, the Prague declaration on crimes of Communism from February 25^th 2010.

The Catholic Church condemned Communism through negative attitude towards Socialism in the encyclical of pope Leo XIII. Rerum Novarum from May 15^th 1891.

With word did the same in 1937. Pius XI with the encyclical Divini Redemptoris; and the Catechism of the Catholic Church from 1992. in the issue 2425 says that the Church “rejects totalitarian and atheist ideologies, connected, in the modern age, with ‘Communism’ or ‘Socialism’”.

To get a clearer picture on why the whole “normal world” puts Communism in the same level as Fascism and Nazism, it is not necessary to go far. The testimonies are all around us, The Catholics can especially read them through the lives of two blessed: the Zagreb’s cardinal Alojzije Stepinac and Istrian priest Miroslav Bulešić who were casualties of this ideology in the time after the World War II.

-And not only them…

About the 663 casualties of seminarians, theologians, monks, nuns, priests and bishops that the Croatian Church had during the WWII and after the war time, in 2007. on 1 100 pages witnessed the Croatian Martyrology of XX. century, by the author Anto Baković, a priest of Vrhbosna.

-And not only about the Croatian people…

A significant amount was noted by a professor of history at the Roman Gregoriana University, Jan Mikrut in his book “Witnesses of the faith”. Personal and collective experiences of the Catholics of Middle-eastern Europe in the Communist regime, whose presenter in 2017. was the military bishop in BiH Msgr. Tomo Vukšić.

Bishop Tomo, among other things, dealt with this topic and found that “between 1941. and 1952., as direct and indirect casualty of after war happenings, 161 Catholic priest from BiH died. And when the losses of all individual communities are compared with the overall number of members, that those same communities without these losses could have had in 1945., then: the diocese of Banja Luka lost as much as 41,93% of their priests, Mostar and Trebinje 40%, the Franciscans of Herzegovina 36,77%, Franciscans of Bosnia 24,27%, the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna 21,95% and Trappist monks 5%” (source Katolički tjednik 14/2006, page 20-21).

With his analysis msgr. Vukšić, established that the “partisans during the war and Communists after it, caused 81% of mentioned priest deaths, to be exact 130 out of 161. The Chetniks killed 10 of them (6%), typhoid killed 16 (10%), while other 5 (3%) one died by death sentence of Independent state of Croatia (NDH), one was killed in a train bombing, and three just vanished” (same).

Also, he brings data that in the said period tragically died at least 227 church persons from BiH – out of which, the Communist hand killed 184, which is 81,05%.

The Sarajevo’s facades testify of Communist evil

Beside the crime of genocide over Croatian people done in Bleiburg, and that continued in the after war period with different executions, the Communist regime -  that started its reign on that famous April 6^th – caused number of terrible things, not understandable to a normal human being and today’s civilised world view.

Speaking from the perspective of the Catholic Church we should remind of: taking of the theologies, seminaries, monasteries, ban of Catholic press, caritative societies and laic societies, persecution and condemnation of the bishops, priests and active laic people…

In the Sarajevo reality it is enough to look around and conclude that:

-          In the archbishop’s residence the Communist government installed a spy that later had a landlord right (!):

-          The taken building of the Katolički tjednik and the Media Centre  Regina Apostolorum, together with the existing printing facility so it was necessary after the last war to buy of the building that was their in the first place and still go in to a legal battle with the tenant who was “written in as an owner” same way as the Archdiocese building;

-          The taken building from the sisters of Daughters of God’s love, the building of today’s Music academy, and was never returned;

-          The taken building from the Franciscans of Bosna Srebrena in Kovačići with which they still have problems when they want to renovate what is theirs;

-          Cancelled the Croatian cultural society Napredak and their main building taken away from them (Napretkova palača) and today the society acts just like a user of their own premises;

-          Napredak’s convict “Kralj Tomislav” was taken away and never returned…

These are just a part of the facts of what April 6^th brought to the Catholics in the capital of BiH.

So, it is really unbelievable that in today’s day and age, in a country that aspires to be a part of European civilisation family, one city that is called “European Jerusalem” has its day tied to an inhumane system that brought grief to many, and its heritage still witnesses to the injustices.

Sarajevo didn’t begin its life on April 6^th of 1945., nor did it deal with evil then, but now it has to once and for all deal with this date and all the “April 6^th” and similar awards.

The future generations are to be taught to always shrink from the evil, and adhere to good, because there is no good future on bad foundations no matter where they are put