Interview with Vinko Cardinal Puljić

When St. Pope John Paul II received him into the College of Cardinals on November 26, 1994, 49-year-old Vinko Puljić was the youngest cardinal. Today, Vinko Cardinal Puljić is the Archbishop of Vrhbosna (Sarajevo). The Archbishopric of Sarajevo has its origins in the 7th century. It was re-established as an episcopal see in 1881. The archdiocese is located in the east of the country and borders Croatia to the north, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the south. The diocese includes parts of the Federation of BiH and the Serbian Republic. In addition to shepherding his diocese, Archbishop Puljić is also a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue as a cardinal. In December 2020, the now 75-year-old survived a serious COVID-19 illness. Mary 1.0 spoke with Cardinal Puljić. The interview was mediated by Thommy M. Schott and translated by Dinka Mihic. Clara Steinbrecher, head of the Maria 1.0 initiative, conducted the interview.

Maria 1.0: Your Eminence, in December 2020 you had to be hospitalized due to a Corona infection. How are you doing today?
Cardinal Puljić: I am grateful to God that I went to the hospital on time. I encountered very dedicated doctors and medical staff. Although I survived Corona well, I am still bearing the consequences. I have admired the medical staff who have always been patient with all patients despite the heavy workload. I am not the same as I was before Corona, but I am grateful to God that I am able to perform my duties on a regular basis.

Maria 1.0: The Catholic Croats are the smallest of the three state-bearing ethnic groups in your homeland. How would you describe the situation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Catholics a quarter of a century after the end of the war?
Cardinal Puljić: While the Dayton Agreement ended the war, it did not create a just peace. Dayton divided Bosnia and Herzegovina into two parts. In one part, the Republika Srpska (Serb Republic, editor's note), ethnic cleansing has been legalized and there are almost no Catholic Croats there. In the other part (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ed.), where Croats and Bosniaks live, a majority of Bosniaks have emerged over Croats. People are insecure and frustrated. Even those who endured the war are now leaving the country. Unfortunately, equal rights have not been established for all three constituent peoples and the same rights do not apply in all areas.

Maria 1.0: If you visit the Holy Mass of a Croatian parish in Germany, you notice that the churches are full and almost all generations are represented among the faithful. Is the Catholic Church in your country more vital than it is in Germany, for example?
Cardinal Puljić: Throughout history, our Catholics have found support and a source of strength in the faith. Now, when they leave the land of their ancestors, they carry with them the faith of their fathers, in which they grew up and for which they endured a great deal, especially during the communist era. The oldergeneration will live this faith, but the younger ones will quickly adapt to the environment they came to because they go to school there and public opinion influences their worldview.

Maria 1.0: The Virgin Mary, many say, has shown Bosnia a great grace through her presence in Međugorje. What does this place of pilgrimage mean to you personally?
Cardinal Puljić: Throughout history, our people have been particularly devout to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I believe that there is not even one house without a picture of Our Lady on the wall. We have several places that have become shrines to Our Lady throughout history. People like to do penance there and fulfill their vows. Medjugorje is perhaps the largest confessional in the EU, as many come to pray to Our Lady, confess and make a personal vow. There they find comfort through faith and the ability to carry their cross in life.

Maria 1.0: The Catholic Church in Western Europe is in a great crisis. Some sacraments, such as the Sacrament of Penance, are literally on the ground. Especially in Germany, the so-called reformers stand opposed the Catholics faithful to the traditional teaching. As a cardinal of the universal Church, how do you assess the current developments?
Cardinal Puljić: The risen Christ is the center of our faith. St. Paul called us to conform ourselves to Christ. Unfortunately, in this secularized spirit, things have been twisted. We ask Christ to conform to us. We have a saying: If you do not act as you think, you begin to think as you act. This is exactly what is happening in the spirit of relativism and secularism. We remember very well how the communists demanded that we separate ourselves from the one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Blessed Alojzije Stepinac paid a high price for this because he remained faithful to the unity of the Church.

Maria 1.0: In Germany, the Synodal Way deals with issues such as the priesthood for women or the abolition of compulsory celibacy. Are the Catholics in Sarajevo also concerned about these issues?
Cardinal Puljić: A church that has survived the challenge of communism doesn’t have ideas as exotic as these. In fact, such attitudes offend and astonish our believers. We cannot understand a church where sacrifice becomes a foreign word and where there is a Jesus without a cross. There can be discussions on all subjects, but based on the Gospel and not based on secularism and relativism. Religious arbitrariness has made itself comfortable in the life of the church, but we must return to the original gospel.

Maria 1.0: The dispute between the German local churches and the Vatican over the formulation of doctrine is seen as a quarrel by the German public. Many Catholics worry about a schism in the church. You yourself were the head of a bishops’ conference once. As bishop, what would you recommend to your German fellow priests?
Cardinal Puljić: The only thing I can do is to pray to the Holy Spirit to enlighten everyone personally and all together, especially those who lead the Church in Germany. May the divine have primacy of place. I would not pretend to be a judge, but I cannot accept such views.

Maria 1.0: Will Pope Francis take another personal look at the Church in Germany one day?

Cardinal Puljić: I can neither foresee nor influence what the Pope will do. If he should ask me for my opinion, I will clearly demonstrate to him the opinion of the suffering church.

Maria 1.0: Your Eminence, you are a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Is there a need for a new evangelization in Europe, or is missions not long overdue, in the face of encroaching atheism?
Cardinal Puljić: Due to my health condition, I no longer participate in congregations. I have dedicated myself both to this local Church and to the Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the same time, my term is slowly coming to an end, and I hope that I will remain faithful to the true faith that I have lived for over 75 years.

Maria 1.0: The Holy Father has proclaimed a Year of St. Joseph. What does Saint Joseph mean to you?
Cardinal Puljić: In this crisis of families, especially the crisis of fatherhood, the Year of Saint Joseph is a wonderful incentive for restoring the dignity of fatherhood within the family and society. In particular, every parent should prove himself worthy of the trust God gives him as long as he travels this earth.

Maria 1.0: Thank you for speaking with us.
Cardinal Puljić:Thank you for your confidence.