Pontiff Asks Bishops To Be Agents of Peace

VATICAN CITY, JULY 6, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI invited the bishops of Croatia, still suffering from the wounds inflicted by the war of the 1990s, to be promoters of reconciliation and peace.

The Holy Father gave the bishops this commission today, when receiving them in audience at the conclusion of their five-yearly visit to the Holy See.

"Your country, unfortunately, still experiences the consequences of the recent conflict, whose negative effects are felt not only in the economy, but also in its inhabitants' spirit," said the Holy Father in reference to the conflicts caused by the disintegration of former Yugoslavia.

"Proclaim reconciliation always and be agents of peace among the citizens of your homeland, encouraging them to undertake the path of Christian reconciliation: forgiveness liberates first of all the one who has the courage to grant it," he added.

Eighty percent of Croatia's population of over 4.5 million is Catholic.