ZAGREB, April 4, 2019 - Vice Vukojević, the president of the Honorary Bleiburg Platoon (PBV) in charge of organising the Bleiburg commemoration in the Loibach field near Bleiburg, said that the commemoration would be held on Saturday, May 18 in the same format as previous years.

"The commemoration on May 18 will look like it has in previous years. Mass will start in the Bleiburg field at noon and the procession will commence at 11 am starting from the Loibach cemetery to the Bleiburg field," Vukojević told reporters after the PBV met with President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović.

He underscored that there would not be any political speeches at Bleiburg, which is something they proposed themselves. "The Honorary Bleiburg Platoon has to secure all the conditions for Mass to be held and we are doing that," he said.

The platoon's secretary-general Thomas Baumgartner informed that they were in contact with Austrian authorities and that everything that was necessary for the commemoration to be held had been handed over. "We didn't ask for anything else except that Mass be celebrated and the commemoration like it is every year," he said.

He said that there would not be any additional events and already last year, stands were not erected and they will not be again this year. "That is in our interest and in the interest of the Austrian government," he said.

Asked whether they had obtained approval from Austria's authorities, Baumgartner said that they did not need approval because this was a religious rite and the commemoration is held on property owned by the Honorary Bleiburg Platoon.

"We only have to adhere to Austrian laws. They have a new law that entered into effect on March 1 and I hope that everyone who is coming will abide by that law and won't cause any fuss as was the case in previous years," he said.

Baumgartner is confident that there would not be any incidents at the commemoration but like every year there would probably be provocateurs.

The head of the Office for Pastoral Care of Croats Abroad with the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Tomislav Markić, said that he would not lead this year's commemoration due to a decision by the administrator of the Gurk-Klagenfurt Diocese, Msgr. Engelbert Guggenberger, who denied permission for this year's requiem Mass on the Loibach field.

President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović's office said in a press release that she met with representatives of the Honorary Platoon who wanted to brief her about the preparations for the 74th anniversary of the Bleiburg tragedy.

They invited the president to attend Holy Mass in Bleiburg. The president thanked them for the invitation and underscored the importance of paying homage in a dignified way to innocent victims, the press release said.

More news about Bleiburg controversies can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 22, 2019 - The president of the Austrian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, said on Friday Austria and Croatia should jointly deal with the historical issue of Bleiburg. "I think we need a culture of dealing with history," the Archbishop of Vienna said after a meeting of the country's Bishops' Conference.

The cardinal said it would be good to form a joint commission that would deal with Bleiburg's "complicated history." "I think we need something like that, otherwise we will stay at the level of conflict," he added.

He concluded that for now Austria saw only a "fascist gathering" occurring at Bleiburg, while Croatia's focus was on the painful history of ancestors, the Austrian news agency APA said. "Bleiburg symbolises a very painful period in the history of the Croatian people, with many thousands dead," he said.

The cardinal concluded that a systematic dealing with this issue would prevent "certain groups" from instrumentalising it.

He confirmed that the Gurk-Klagenfurt Diocese had turned down a request by the Croatian Bishops' Conference (HGK) to hold a commemorative service at Loibach field near Bleiburg, but said "people can't be banned from coming to Bleiburg" and that the ban referred only to the Mass.

The Gurk-Klagenfurt Diocese recently denied permission for this year's Mass in the Loibach field as part of a ceremony commemorating members of Nazi-allied Croatian forces killed there at the end of World War II.

The Bleiburg commemorations are held in tribute to tens of thousands of Croatian civilians and soldiers of the defeated pro-Nazi Independent State of Croatia (NDH) who surrendered to allied forces there in May 1945, but were handed over by British troops to Yugoslav forces. Many were executed on the spot, while many perished during so-called death marches back to Yugoslavia.

The Roman Catholic Church in Carinthia turned down the HBK's request to hold Mass at Loibach, claiming the event was used for political purposes.

"The Mass held in the field near Bleiburg has become part of an event that is used for political purposes and is part of a political and national ritual that serves for the selective perception and interpretation of history," according to a statement signed by the secretary of the Gurk-Klagenfurt Diocese, Msgr. Engelbert Guggenberger.

More news on the Bleiburg issue can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 18, 2019 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Sunday that the government would go to Jasenovac this year to pay tribute to the victims of the WWII Ustasha-run concentration camp, adding that he would not go to Bleiburg because he had "another major obligation scheduled for that day."

"We have spoken with the Antifascist Federation, with Mr Habulin, at his request, and have again expressed our desire for one single commemoration to be organised. We think that that would be good. We have also spoken with the president of the Jewish community and conveyed the same message to him. They will certainly have consultations and decide what to do. Our position is very clear: we will go to Jasenovac to pay tribute to the victims of the Ustasha regime, clearly and unequivocally as we did in the newly-adopted history curriculum," Plenković said in an interview with the RTL commercial television channel on Sunday evening.

He said he would not be going to Bleiburg, a town in southern Austria where tens of thousands of Croatian civilians and soldiers of the defeated pro-Nazi Ustasha regime surrendered to allied forces in May 1945, but were handed over by British troops to Yugoslav forces. Many were executed on the spot, while many perished during so-called death marches back to Yugoslavia.

"I have something else scheduled for that day, but it is too early to make it public," the prime minister said.

Responding to the interviewer's remark that he had not visited Bleiburg in the past two years either, Plenković said that the parliament president, his ministers and envoys had been there. "I know at this point that I have another major obligation scheduled for that day," he added.

"Our position is that a commemoration should take place. Whether a Mass will be celebrated or not depends on relations between the Croatian and Austrian bishops' conferences. I think that that would be good and believe that they will find the best solution through dialogue. What is crucial is that those who will go there do not politicise the commemoration, do not wear unlawful insignia and do not try to misuse the event," Plenković said, recalling that the Croatian parliament was the sponsor of the commemoration.

Speaking of the forthcoming election for the European Parliament, set for May 26, Plenković said that President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović would formally call the election on March 26, adding that his HDZ party was preparing it. "I am certain, and many surveys indicate so, that the election will reaffirm the HDZ as a dominant force among serious pro-European parties on the Croatian political scene," the PM said.

Asked if he had spoken with Milorad Pupovac, the leader of the Independent Democratic Serb Party, who did not show up at a meeting of the ruling coalition last week and who had announced earlier that his party might leave the coalition, Plenkovic said that he had not.

"I am still here, waiting for his call," Plenković said and added: "In any case, I want all minority MPs to be part of the parliamentary majority and the ruling coalition. I want them to be part of the common efforts of this government in many projects, plans and activities for which the minority MPs have made useful suggestions. I want every Serb, Bosniak, Albanian, Slovak, Hungarian and Roma to feel good in Croatia in 2019 and to want to live here."

Plenković said that there were certain political forces who constantly wanted to polarise society. He would not name them, saying he did not want to promote them.

More news about the Bleiburg commemorations can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 11, 2019 - The Catholic Church in the southern Austrian region of Carinthia has no intention of getting into a debate with the Croatian Bishops Conference over the denial of permission for this year's Mass in Loibach near Bleiburg, the Gurk-Klagenfurt Dioecese said on Monday.

"We will not react to the reaction and will not get into a ping pong with statements. We will not react to the reaction of the Croatian Bishops Conference to the denial of permission to celebrate a Holy Mass as part of the commemoration at Bleiburg," spokesman for the Gurk-Klagenfurt Diocese Matthias Kapeller told Hina.

He said that the Catholic Church of Carinthia had nothing more to add to its statement of last week, noting that they were surprised by the tone of the statement by the Croatian Bishops' Conference (HBK).

"There were also different reactions from the HBK's. I would not describe them as positive, but they were certainly different," Kapeller said.

Asked if despite the ban a memorial service could still be held in the Loibach field, Kapeller said: "It is a private property and in Austria anyone can invite a priest to say a Mass on their private property."

Austrian news agency APA said that the Mass ban concerned only senior clergy such as bishops while a private liturgy could not be banned.

The Catholic Church of Carinthia, or rather the Gurk-Klagenfurt Diocese, on Friday denied permission for this year's Mass in the Loibach field near Bleiburg as part of a ceremony commemorating members of Nazi-allied Croatian forces killed there at the end of World War II.

"If permission for Mass were granted, the overall perception of the event could rightfully be used as a basis to accuse the Catholic Church of Carinthia of instrumentalising a religious service for political purposes and not distancing itself from the Fascist worldview," the diocese said in a statement on Friday.

The Bleiburg commemorations are held in tribute to tens of thousands of Croatian civilians and soldiers of the defeated pro-Nazi Independent State of Croatia (NDH) who surrendered to allied forces there in May 1945, but were handed over by British troops to Yugoslav forces. Many were executed on the spot, while many perished during so-called death marches back to Yugoslavia.

Asked by reporters in Zagreb to comment on the Mass ban, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that the matter was on the agenda of the Croatian Bishops Conference, the Gurk-Klagenfurt Dioece and the Austrian Bishops' Conference. "This is a matter for the two churches. If there's anything we can do to help, we are willing to do so," Plenković said. He added that the idea floated by "far-right circles" that the Croatian government and he himself had lobbied for the ban was malicious. He declined to say whether the Croatian Embassy in Austria had done enough to prevent such a development.

More news on the Bleiburg ban can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 11, 2019 - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) said on Sunday it entirely supported the letter the Croatian Bishops Conference expressing its deep disagreement with the decision by the Roman Catholic Church in Carinthia to withhold permission for this year's memorial mass at Loibach, near Bleiburg, and said that MP Zlatko Hasenbegović and his followers were contributing to the Mass ban at Bleiburg

Commenting on Hasenbegović’s claim that Prime Minister Andrej Plenković was behind the Mass ban, the HDZ said that instead of investing his energy as an MP into finding a solution, Hasenbegović was using situation to promote his political agenda.

The Roman Catholic Church in the Austrian federal state of Carinthia has turned down a request by the Croatian Bishops Conference (HBK) to hold a mass at Loibach, a field near Bleiburg because the event is used for political purposes.

Even though the Bleiburg gathering is held on a private property, holding a religious service there requires permission from the Catholic Church in Carinthia.

Since last year Austria has been treating the Bleiburg commemoration more critically, at the initiative of several Austrian members of the European Parliament. Recently, a law went into force banning the display of Ustasha symbols, dating back to the time of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH).

The Bleiburg commemorations are held in tribute to tens of thousands of Croatian civilians and soldiers of the defeated Nazi-allied NDH who surrendered to allied forces there in May 1945, but were handed over by British troops to Yugoslav forces. Many were executed on the spot, while many perished during so-called death marches back to Yugoslavia.

More news about the Bleiburg ban can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 10, 2019 - Istrian Democratic Party vice president Valter Flego said on Sunday that the decision of the Catholic Church in the Austrian federal state of Carinthia to ban the holding of Mass at Loibach, a field near Bleiburg, over political instrumentalisation, was in no way directed against the faith and believers.

"This is not a decision against religious freedoms, on the contrary. The Church in Asutria wants to protect the believers from the abuse by which the Church wants to spread nationalistic messages and promote Ustasha symbols," Flego said adding that everyone should be aware that by doing so our neighbours were trying to protect us from ourselves.

"Instead of drawing a lesson, we learnt nothing. Unfortunately, our state leadership is condemning the decision of Austria which only did what we should have done a long time ago, and that is to ban Ustashaism in our country," Flego said.

MP Emil Daus of the IDS said the Croatian Democratic Union-led government had lost a feeling for any political, moral or human responsibility, adding that the accident involving HDZ Minister Gabrijala Žalac was proof of that.

"A traffic accident can happen to anyone, in a hundred different circumstances and I am truly sorry that the minister had to go through that. However, the fact that the minister got behind the wheel without a valid driver's licence, aware that she is breaking the law, is a reason for immediate resignation," Daus said.

More news on the Bleiburg mass ban can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 10, 2019 - Following a decision of the Roman Catholic Church in the Austrian federal state of Carinthia to withhold permission for a mass at Loibach, a field near Bleiburg in May this year, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović said on Saturday that she could not interfere in the relations between the authorities of the Catholic Church, however, being a Croat and a Catholic believer, she deeply regretted for such decision of the Gurk-Klagenfurt Diocese.

The president also expressed her confidence that the Croatian Bishops' Conference will find a solution enabling Catholic faithful to commemorate at religious service the victims killed in the Loibach field and Bleiburg and death marches in the wake of the Second World War.

The Croatian Bishops Conference (HBK) already expressed its deep disagreement with the decision by the Roman Catholic Church in Carinthia to reject permission for this year's memorial mass at Loibach.

The HBK believes that "not allowing the possibility to pray for the victims of that great tragedy of the Croat people means disrespect for the victims and lack of sensitivity for the suffering of the innocent", dismissing the reasons for the refusal of permission in their entirety.

The Bleiburg commemorations are held in tribute to tens of thousands of Croatian civilians and soldiers of the defeated Nazi-allied Independent State of Croatia who surrendered to allied forces there in May 1945, but were handed over by British troops to Yugoslav forces. Many were executed on the spot, while many perished during so-called death marches back to Yugoslavia.

The Roman Catholic Church in Carinthia has turned down the HBK's request to hold a mass at Loibach because the event is used for political purposes, the local church said on Friday.

"The mass held in the field near Bleiburg has become part of an event that is used for political purposes and is part of a political and national ritual that serves for the selective perception and interpretation of history," reads a statement signed by the secretary of the Klagenfurt Diocese, Msgr. Engelbert Guggenberger.

More news about the Bleiburg commemorations can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 9, 2019 - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković has told reporters he fully supported a statement by the Croatian Bishops Conference (HBK) which expressed its deep disagreement with the decision by the Roman Catholic Church in the Austrian federal state of Carinthia to withhold permission for this year's memorial mass at Loibach, a field near Bleiburg.

The Croatian Bishops Conference believes that "not allowing the possibility to pray for the victims of that great tragedy of the Croat people means disrespect for the victims and lack of sensitivity for the suffering of the innocent," dismissing the reasons for the decision in their entirety.

I fully support the HBK statement, Jandroković told reporters on Friday evening in the central Croatian town of Gospić where the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) held an election rally for the Lika-Senj County Assembly.

Vladimir Šeks of the HDZ also addressed reporters in Gospić on Friday evening, saying that the Organisation Committee of the Honorary Bleiburg Platoon, the Croatian parliament under whose auspices the event is held, and the Austrian regional government had already taken all steps to prevent any display of Ustasha insignia at the commemoration in Bleiburg.

The Bleiburg commemorations are held in tribute to tens of thousands of Croatian civilians and soldiers of the defeated Nazi-allied Independent State of Croatia who surrendered to allied forces there in May 1945, but were handed over by British troops to Yugoslav forces. Many were executed on the spot, while many perished during so-called death marches back to Yugoslavia.

The secretary of the Klagenfurt Diocese, Msgr. Guggenberger, said that the mass held in the field near Bleiburg "has become part of an event that is used for political purposes and is part of a political and national ritual that serves for the selective perception and interpretation of history."

In a statement that explains the decision not to grant permission for the religious service, planned for May 18 this year, the Catholic Church in Carinthia says that the decision was made after a thorough analysis of the 2018 gathering at Bleiburg as well as numerous conversations between representatives of the Austrian and Croatian bishops conferences, which also included believers of the Croat community in Carinthia and representatives of Austrian security authorities.

Even though the Bleiburg gathering is held on a private property, holding a religious service there requires permission from the local church.

Since last year Austria has been treating the Bleiburg commemoration more critically, at the initiative of several Austrian members of the European Parliament. Recently, a law went into force banning the display of Ustasha symbols, dating back to the time of the NDH.

More news on the Bleiburg commemorations can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 9, 2019 - The Croatian Bishops Conference (HBK) on Friday expressed its deep disagreement with the decision by the Roman Catholic Church in the Austrian federal state of Carinthia to withhold permission for this year's memorial mass at Loibach, a field near Bleiburg, dismissing the reasons for the decision in their entirety.

"The secretary of the Gurk Klagenfurt Diocese, Msgr Engelbert Guggenberger, has decided not to allow this year's memorial mass in the Bleiburg field. The Croatian Bishops Conference regrets that decision and expresses its deep disagreement with the reasons he stated and dismisses them in their entirety," the HBK Press Office said in a statement.

It believes that "not allowing the possibility to pray for the victims of that great tragedy of the Croat people means disrespect for the victims and lack of sensitivity for the suffering of the innocent."

The HBK recalls that its representatives and representatives of the Austrian Bishops Conference conducted talks on the commemoration of the Bleiburg tragedy on several occasions. The HBK also says that it joined activities to hold masses in Bleiburg in 2003. "In all previous years, notably in 2018, the Eucharist was celebrated in dignity as befits the Church's most dignified prayer," the HBK says in its statement.

Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković has been informed of the news that the Roman Catholic Church in Carinthia has rejected the HBK's request to hold a religious service at Bleiburg, and since the Bleiburg commemoration is held under the parliament's auspices, he plans first to hold talks with the organisers of the event and then decide how to proceed and coordinate future actions.

According to sources close to Jandroković, talks will first be held with the Honorary Bleiburg Platoon and the HBK, which are the organisers of the commemoration, after which a decision will be made as to what to do next.

According to unofficial reports, the Honorary Bleiburg Platoon met on Friday to discuss the matter.

Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić would not comment today on the decision of the Catholic Church in Austria either, saying only that a mass was the most appropriate way to commemorate victims of World War II.

The Bleiburg commemorations are held in tribute to tens of thousands of Croatian civilians and soldiers of the defeated Nazi-allied Independent State of Croatia who surrendered to allied forces there in May 1945, but were handed over by British troops to Yugoslav forces. Many were executed on the spot, while many perished during so-called death marches back to Yugoslavia.

"One should not comment on other countries' actions... for us Bleiburg is a place of remembrance and commemoration of the victims," Pejčinović Burić told reporters.

The secretary of the Klagenfurt Diocese, Msgr. Guggenberger, said that the mass held in the field near Bleiburg "has become part of an event that is used for political purposes and is part of a political and national ritual that serves for the selective perception and interpretation of history."

In a statement that explains the decision not to grant permission for the religious service, planned for May 18 this year, the Catholic Church in Carinthia says that the decision was made after a thorough analysis of the 2018 gathering at Bleiburg as well as numerous conversations between representatives of the Austrian and Croatian bishops conferences, which also included believers of the Croat community in Carinthia and representatives of Austrian security authorities.

Even though the Bleiburg gathering is held on a private property, holding a religious service there requires permission from the local church.

Since last year Austria has been treating the Bleiburg commemoration more critically, at the initiative of several Austrian members of the European Parliament. Recently, a law went into force banning the display of Ustasha symbols, dating back to the time of the NDH.

More news on the Bleiburg commemorations can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 8, 2019 - The Roman Catholic Church in the Austrian federal state of Carinthia has turned down a request by the Croatian Bishops Conference (HBK) to hold a mass at Loibach, a field near Bleiburg because the event is used for political purposes, the local church said on Friday.

"The mass held in the field near Bleiburg has become part of an event that is used for political purposes and is part of a political and national ritual that serves for the selective perception and interpretation of history," reads a statement signed by the secretary of the Klagenfurt Diocese, Msgr. Engelbert Guggenberger.

The statement further notes that the event in Loibach harms the reputation of the Catholic Church. "... if permission for Mass is granted, the overall perception of the event could rightfully be used as a basis to accuse the Catholic Church in Carinthia of instrumentalising a religious service for political purposes and not distancing itself from the Fascist worldview," the statement said.

The decision to withhold permission for the religious service, which was planned for May 18 this year, was made after a thorough analysis of the 2018 gathering at Bleiburg as well as numerous conversations between representatives of the Austrian and Croatian bishops conferences, which also included believers of the Croat community in Carinthia and representatives of Austrian security authorities.

Even though the Bleiburg gathering is held on a private property, holding a religious service there requires permission from the Catholic Church in Carinthia.

Since last year Austria has been treating the Bleiburg commemoration more critically, at the initiative of several Austrian members of the European Parliament. Recently, a law went into force banning the display of Ustasha symbols, dating back to the time of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH).

The Bleiburg commemorations are held in tribute to tens of thousands of Croatian civilians and soldiers of the defeated Nazi-allied NDH who surrendered to allied forces there in May 1945, but were handed over by British troops to Yugoslav forces. Many were executed on the spot, while many perished during so-called death marches back to Yugoslavia.

Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković has been informed of the news that the Roman Catholic Church in the Austrian federal state of Carinthia has rejected the Croatian Bishops Conference's (HBK) request to hold a religious service at Bleiburg, and since the Bleiburg commemoration is held under the parliament's auspices, he plans first to hold talks with the organisers of the event and then decide how to proceed and coordinate future actions.

According to sources close to Parliament Speaker Jandroković, talks will first be held with the Honorary Bleiburg Platoon and the Croatian Bishops Conference, which are the organisers of the commemoration, after which a decision will be made as to what to do next.

Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić would not comment on the decision of the Catholic Church in Austria either, saying only that a mass was the most appropriate way to commemorate victims of World War II. "One should not comment on other countries' actions... for us Bleiburg is a place of remembrance and commemoration of the victims," Pejčinović Burić told reporters.

More news on the Bleiburg commemorations can be found in the Politics section.