Cardinal Vinko Puljic: I asked Pope Leo XIV to bless BiH

“I’m thankful to God that I was able to experience this for the third time. I’m also grateful to the people who helped me with my health. I had decided not to go, but in the end I did. I’m joyful and proud to have lived through this”, Puljic told Nova.

“I’m very pleased. God gave such a spirit that everything unfolded quickly and with dignity, and we chose the right person who will win over the world,” he added.

Puljic describer the new pope as "humble, modest, and capable".

"I hope he will lead by example as pope, with a sense for all churches, since he has spent years visiting every continent. So he won’t limit himself only to Rome, but to the whole world.”

The Cardinal emphasized that the new pope is the right person for this moment.

“He is needed both by Catholics and by all other people of goodwill who value his message of peace and human dignity—a message that speaks not only to this life, but to eternal life as well.”

“A pope doesn’t simply follow in the footsteps of his predecessor; each new pope creates a new strategy. The new pope needs the spirit of both Peter and Paul. That means Peter—the rock—and the spirit of Paul,” Puljic added.

When asked if he had invited the new pope to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, he replied:

“I haven’t invited him yet, the time we had for greetings was short. I asked him to bless me and my country. There will be opportunities for him to perhaps visit BiH. We in Bosnia and Herzegovina live in such a turbulent atmosphere—we need clear positions, people of vision and hope.”