The voice of the crying in the desert – the most common description of the now former Bishop of Banja Luka, the brave and good man Franjo Komarica. In this symbolic but also demographic desert called the Banja Luka Diocese, a new bishop has been appointed, the priest from the Mostar-Duvno Diocese, Father Željko Majić. There are several possible reasons why precisely Father Željko, why from Herzegovina, and why to the Banja Luka Diocese.
The first reason is the genuine living of the priestly vocation. A man of creativity, not destruction, who gathers and knows how to listen. He was ordained a priest during the time of Bishop Pavlo Žanić in 1988. In the difficult war conditions of 1992 and 1993, he was the parish vicar of the cathedral parish of Mary Mother of the Church in Mostar. He then went to Rome at the Lateran Pontifical University. After his return, he held numerous positions, including the director of Caritas in the dioceses of Mostar-Duvno and Trebinje-Mrkan.
The second reason is ecumenism. It is no secret that Pope Francis strongly desires ecumenism, especially with the Serbian Orthodox Church, which is the closest path to the Russian Orthodox Church. How possible ecumenism with the Serbian and Russian Orthodox Churches is in these conditions is a completely different question. When considering the relations of the Catholic Church in Croatia with Serbian Orthodoxy, it can be seen that they have the least disagreements, especially in Herzegovina. Perhaps that is why Father Željko Majić and perhaps why Banja Luka.
The third reason could be that in Rome, Herzegovina is recognized as a region where Christianity is somewhat lived. While in the West, churches are turning into museums and galleries. While the number of believers is decreasing. While the values of Christian tradition are ignored. In Herzegovina, at least on a declarative level, Christianity is not something perfect. In Herzegovina, burdened by its challenges – one phenomenon and one case. Perhaps that is why Father Željko Majić is already the tenth living bishop from Herzegovina, as fellow journalists counted.
And fourth, not least, Pope Francis very wisely distributes Catholic bishops throughout Croatia, BiH, and neighboring countries to different regions. Croats from Kosovo to Herzegovina, Herzegovinians to Bosnia, Zagreb, Dalmatia... When you are at a distance. When you are not burdened with problems you faced since childhood, perhaps you can judge and decide more justly, qualitatively, and better. Maybe that is also one of the reasons.
In any case, Bishop Željko Majić inherits the beloved bishop Franjo Komarica among the people. A man who survived the most difficult war moments in Banja Luka with his people. He comes to the most wounded diocese where Serbian politics and the army committed genocide against Croats-Catholics. He comes to the diocese where the voice of the crying in the desert was heard. Perhaps, who knows, for those few surviving Catholics in that diocese, that voice from the desert turns into the promised land on every inch of the diocese from Livno, Jajce, Banja Luka to Kotor Varoš.
*The text was translated by artificial intelligence.
