“Dear brothers and sisters, today I speak not only as the shepherd of this Church but as a son of a land that has known the pain of war. I speak as a Croatian, born from a soil soaked in tears and resilience. And I speak as one who remembers.
The war in my homeland was not a distant conflict; it was the air we breathed, the ground we walked upon, the songs that were silenced. Operation Storm—Oluja, as we call it—was a turning point, a storm that swept through the land, bringing both liberation and loss. It was a moment of triumph for some, and a wound that remains unhealed for others.
War, my friends, is a crucible of the human soul. It reveals the depths of our brokenness, the ease with which we can turn against one another. But it also reveals the strength of the human spirit, the capacity to endure, to rebuild, to forgive. In the midst of devastation, I saw neighbors sharing their last loaf of bread, soldiers laying down their weapons to carry children to safety, prayers whispered in bomb shelters. These moments of grace remind us that even in the darkest night, the light of Christ shines.
But let us not romanticize war. Let us not glorify its violence or justify its destruction. As a Croatian, I know too well the cost of freedom. I know the names of the villages that no longer exist, the faces of the children who never grew up, the silence of the churches that once rang with hymns. These are the scars my homeland bears, and they are the scars I carry in my heart.
Yet, as a Christian, I also know the power of resurrection. The story of Croatia, like the story of our faith, is not one of despair but of hope. From the ruins of war, we have rebuilt homes and lives. From the ashes of division, we have begun to sow the seeds of reconciliation. This is the work of God’s Spirit, moving among us, calling us to be peacemakers, to be healers, to be builders of a new future.
The Gospel calls us to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us. This is not an easy command. It is not a command that erases the pain of the past or denies the reality of injustice. But it is a command that frees us from the cycle of hatred, that opens the door to a peace that is not of this world.
Today, I call on all nations, all peoples, to learn from the wounds of my homeland. Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past. Let us not allow pride, greed, or fear to lead us into conflict. Instead, let us be instruments of peace, guided by the love of Christ.
And to my fellow Croatians, wherever you may be, I say this: Remember the storm, but do not let it define you. Remember the pain, but do not let it consume you. Remember the loss, but do not let it rob you of hope. For we are a people of the resurrection, and our story is not over. The God who brought us through the storm will bring us to a place of peace.
May God bless Croatia, may God bless all nations, and may His peace reign in every heart.”
