Politics from the Military Altar

AIM Zagreb, October 12, 2000

Last weekend, at the military pilgrimage to Marija Bistrica, the military ordinary monsignor Juraj Jezerinac spoke to the gathered uniformed and civilian believers about the Patriotic War, Croatian political leadership and the press, mentioning evangelic messages only in passing. It would be useful to quote several of bishop Jezerinac's messages: "(...)Honourably performing its duty of defending the homeland, the Croatian Army has defeated the opponent who wanted to deprive us of our freedom. This should be said clearly to the whole world because for over a year now dangerous theses are being systematically spread that that period of the Croatian history was a "bloody dictatorship" and "years eaten by locusts". (...) Therefore, we openly express our concern for the sudden recent eruption of hate against the Catholic church in Croatia, unseen even in times of totalitarian communist journalism!"

Msgr. Jezerinac let an explicit praise of until-yesterday Croatian political leadership slip when referring to the recent much talked about Porec Bishop's letter and briefly lamenting the possible imputation of collective guilt to the Croatian people for "possible individual crimes and offences". The assistant bishop of Zagreb, known for his right wing political orientation - in the Croatian bishops' conference he is believed to be the most extreme rightist - mentioned the Christ's teaching to those gathered in Marija Bistrica only when it sounded quite pleasing to them that "neither the Croatian people nor the Army of Croatia allowed to be collectively carried away by the hate or revenge because they listened to their Church and messages of the Holy Father"...The Juraj Jezerinac's address did not surprise anyone, especially not the folk gathered in the most famous Croatian shrine of the Holy Mother where those who are easily surprised do not come.

No one was shocked because Msgr. Jezerinac's speech is the axis of the secular activity of the Church in Croatia and has been such ever since the Crusades. For example, the things he said about the honourable duty of defence and war victory. Following Christ's teaching about faith of love and forgiveness, the audience should be appalled that their clergyman was not crying to the sky in pain because of his flock which allowed to be well provoked to return the blow, and even to be the first to attack... Instead of turning the other cheek, it offered bread to the usurper, prayed for his salvation, etc. Jezerinac called the defence of the homeland an honourable duty, not because he understands the human need for defence, but because he is a false Christian, actually an avenger and a crusader. Jezerinac is praising the war victory and the then Croatian political leadership because they are on the same way, except for the fact that today they are no more, while the chief military everlasting chaplain is still riding.

If the Croatian military spiritual father is such, then the Army is still human. Jezerinac did not teach it that the defence was honourable, but that their defence was and will always be, a priori, honourable and sinless. He would perform any kind of somersault so as to proclaim the so called Homeland War (which war for the defence of one's homes has not deserved such flattering name?) beyond reproach and dogmatically holy. This bishop is not getting the alleged collective guilt out of thin air - for no one here is insisting on it - but has derived it from the need to hastily deny any possibility of even individual crimes and to call such cases, despite all the evidence, "possible". Some papers systematically wrote about this for years and those articles represent the "dangerous theses" which are worrying the God's shepherd from the Kaptol. Latest frequent articles of this kind Msgr. Jezerinac calls "sudden eruption of hate" adequately satanising the journalists in the process.

However, Juraj Jezerinac is on Kaptol, more or less, accidentally since he was supposed to be transferred to Ksaver. In the quiet parts of Sljeme lies a large edifice, similar to Parthenon, ugly and vulgar just as sacral new buildings in Croatia at the close of the millennium can be. This is Military Ordinariate for which the chief chaplain himself said few years ago: "We need adequate premises, nothing fancy...All this can be done with little money, but still be practical and adequate". Since luxury is not characteristic for ascetic Vatican officials, the construction of this temple has already cost two and a half times more than the envisaged seven million kunas. However, it will be impossible to finish the edifice without 30 million kunas which will be equally taken from the pockets of all Croatian tax payers. Believe it or not.

Until now the Ordinariate proved to be neither humble nor cheap or practical, and is certainly of no use. Question is whether it will ever be such, as several months ago the Defence Minister Jozo Rados stated that budgetary sources for the God's military attaché has been drained and it was quite uncertain when they will be replenished. And another thing - the Defence Minister caught us unprepared once again: it is not known whether MORH (as well as MUP) will "let the building fall into ruin" or preserve it for some future times"...After this it is perhaps clearer why is Jezerinac concerned and where the catch is. Not only has the inflow of money from the flock whose years the locusts have truly eaten, been stopped and the previous authorities did not deserve his praise only for their war victories, but for the general financing of this great church good-for-nothing facility has been brought into question. Prelature need no explicit explanation, history is full of similar warnings.

Chaplains and others in the ordinariate are getting regular government funds as, under the Vatican Agreement Roman-Catholicism is established in Croatia as the official religion so that Jezerinac is still getting his wages in the amount equal to that of major-general. The General Vicar has the same pay as active major, and a bishop-vicar, chancellor and steward are worth as much as a colonel. And how can Msgr. Jezerinac be then anything but militant, making new enemies and pestering the army with his observations on fanatic alertness, justifying his position with new threats? Too often have temporal temptations, such as money and power, proved to be the motive behind religious activities here for us to readily accept any defence that Jezerinac might offer. In any case, the real active generals clamed his altar before, so that it would not be much of a surprise to see him one day standing next to a howitzer-carriage.

Igor Lasic

(AIM)