WARSAW, Poland (CNS): A Bosnian Church official said commemorations of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europe’s worst atrocity since World War II, reflected a slight change in attitudes by ethnic groups in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“There’s been a slow opening up — a recognition that we should say we’re sorry out loud for the terrible crimes that took place and mourn their innocent victims,” said Msgr Mato Zovkic, the vicar-general of Sarajevo archdiocese, who represented the Bosnian Church and the Vatican at the July 11 Srebrenica ceremony.
International leaders gathered at the eastern Bosnian town to commemorate the slaughter of 8000 Muslim men and boys when the UN safe haven was handed over to Bosnian Serb forces by Dutch peacekeepers.
Up to 40,000 Bosnians took part in the commemoration at Srebrenica’s Potocari cemetery.
The Serbian Government acknowledged the Srebrenica massacre for the first time on July 10.
