CRIME AND RECONCILIATION

Media in Serbia on the Pope's Visit to Sarajevo

The visit of the head of the Roman Catholic Church to B&H was not treated as a top priority world event, but it was followed correctly with just a few witty "excursions" of a commentator here and there

AIM Belgrade, 16 April, 1997

"We have delivered the message of the Serb people to the Pope that it should be kept in mind that in this space a terrible war was fought, due to which reconciliation and forgiveness are needed which would replace political hue and cry after war criminals". This statement of member of the Presidency of B&H Momcilo Krajisnik after the meeting with the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II, was emphasized by most of the media in Serbia in which the topic of reconciliation can mostly be brought down to the saying "Let Us Go On", in other words, let us forget and forgive, as if nothing had happened. Forgetting crimes and massacres is part of the dubious strategy of local politics. This strategy is not disapproved even by some civil-oriented persons because it is "the fastest cure for war wounds" with the only difference that some of them are openly pointing at the political and state leadership of current Yugoslavia as those who are responsible for the tragedy in B&H. In order to divert attention from the demand for extradition of military and political persons against whom the Hague Tribunal raised charges, "patriotic" newspapers are focused on the "trial" to President of Presidency of B&H Alija Izetbegovic in Banja Luka. Apart from it, they attempt to minimilize victims, other than one's "own", and rape. In a special program on testimony of a Serb woman who was raped, state television, for instance, presented the datum that "just" a hundred odd Muslim women were raped.

On the other hand, reminescence of crimes against Serbs in the Second World War and involvement of the Roman Catholic Church are constantly brought up, which is one of the main reasons why there is no wish to see the Pope in Belgrade, although his wish expressed durin mess in Sarajevo to visit FR Yugoslavia was correctly carried by the media. It is interesting that hardly any media dealt with topics discussed by the Pope and Dabro-Bosnian Metropolitan Nikolay. With the exception of Dnevni telegraf which carried information supplied by Reuters agency that the meeting of the two church dignitaries was "hearty, sincere cordial", the others just mentioned that it had occurred. They have probably decided to wait for the report on the talks to be forwarded by the Metropolitan to the Synod, and then for this highest Orthodox Church agency to issue its evaluation of it for the public, if it sees fit.

There had been a lot of indecisive haggling about the meeting of representatives of the Serb Orthodox Church and the head of the Roman Catholic Church, so that in the end a decision was reached that the meeting should take place, but all the bishops had had to declare their opinion about it in writing - as Nasa Borba wrote. In a special commentary, Belgrade daily Blic points out to a few data: "Resistance to the meeting with the Pope among priests and bishops is strong, and this issue has divided the members of the Synod - the Church government. The Serb Orthodox Church has plenty of reason to refuse to shake the offered hand of John Paul the Second, about which, as the historic experience from Vatican shows, one could never be certain how sincere it was. The Pope advocated peace in his sermons, while in down-to-earth reality he offered open support to the NATO to bomb the Serbs". Such reminders in present Yugoslavia can always be reduced to the old thesis about the "Vatican conspiracy" which also implies those from the past, and a clear message about continuity of the "conspiracy".

The media in Belgrade, like in other countries, occupied themselves a great deal with the explosives planted under the bridge which the Pope was expected to cross, but without much tartness and speculations about possible perpetrators.

The Pope's visit could not pass without Serb-Croat controversies. Vecernje novosti, for example, reacted to the report of Croatian Radio-Television before the central festivity at the Kosevo stadium, with the title "Commentary of Hatred". In the review, among other, it is said that the HRT has taken the opportunity for "a hysterical gush of hatred against - it is self-understood - the Serbs", noting that once again only one party is blamed for the war in B&H. In retelling the report, the article quotes parts which speak about the Serbs "and their Chetnik units" having demolished and burnt down tens Catholic churches and monasteries and "precisely ennumerating places in which Catholic sacral buildings were destroyed". The report is characterized as a "commentary of hatred towards an entire nation", and it is said that it is not true that "the Serbs have banished about 200 thousand Catholics", while it is passed over in silence that hundred thousand Serbs were banished from Croatia and Bosanska Krajina. The attention of the readers is diverted to the fact that the report failed to mention "recent attacks on Catholic and Muslim religious buildings in Sarajevo, Tomislavgrad, Kraljeva Sutjeska and Bugojno" and only "because the Serbs did not participate in them".

At the same time, agency reports on the Pope's visit in foreign media were used to the maximum. Belgrade pro-regime daily Politika carried commentaries of German press, in Tanjug's version, titled: "The Pope saw for himself the Croat-Muslim split", accompanied by a quotation of Krajisnik's statement that "the Serb nation welcomes every mission of good will, peace and equality". The state television followed the Pope's visit as an event of minor importance, while spectators of Karic Brothers' Television could learn many details thanks to broadcasting of CNN reports. After the end of the visit, the announcer of the program of this television station, called the "Crossword Puzzle", commented: "If you have understood the language the Pope speaks - we congratulate you. You have become a polyglot, because you understand New Croatian and the Bosniac language." This could be classified among scornful "witty excursions" of very poor taste.

The general impression is that the Pope's visit was followed in Belgrade with much less passion than when it was announced three years ago. Had it happened in 1994, it is quite certain that the head of the Roman Catholic Church would have been classified among the severest enemies of the Orthodox Church, as it was often written at the time. This time, spirits were pacified by the fact that Krajisnik and the Dabrobosanski Metropolitan Nikolay had met with the Pope. Nobody in Belgrade wishes to comment on the fact that the Pope expressed a wish to visit present Yugoslavia. The impression is that the current authorities are not interested in his visit, contrary to the disposition three years ago when Serbia and Montenegro were under international sanctions so it was believed that this visit could contribute to "opening of a window into the world". This window, thanks to the peace accords signed in Dayton, has considerably been opened by now, so the Pope's "help" is not needed any more.

Ejub Stitkovac