BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Dec 25 (AFP) - Muslims and Serbs joined 400 Catholic Croats in celebrating the first midnight mass in the Bosnian Serb entity since the outbreak of the 1992-95 Bosnia war Saturday.
Christmas masses had been celebrated in Banja Luka in previous years, but out of fears of ethnically-motivated harassment were held at 6:00 p.m. so worshippers would not be out at night on the streets of Bosnian Serb capital city.
A dozen Serb policemen stood in front of the church during the service to provide security for the duration of the mass.
In the packed cathedral, where many people could not find a seat, no one appeared surprised or offended when Bishop Franjo Komarica announced that there were Serbs among the congregation.
"Dear Catholics I wish you all a Merry Christmas, but I also wish the same to you believers from the Orthodox Church who will celebrate [Christmas] in 13 days time, for I know that some of you now are attending this midnight mass with us Catholics, and I thank you", the bishop said.
Republika Srpska's (RS, Bosnian Serb entity) is mainly populated by Serbs of the Orthodox faith who celebrate Christmas on January 7.
"I am a Muslim, but despite everything I came here, for I do not see a reason why not. We can be of different religions, but we are first of all human beings. It was beautiful, I will never forget this evening", a Muslim woman, Zlata Sakovic, 64, who came to the mass with a Catholic friend, said.
Zlata's friend was so touched by the service that all she could add through tears was: "I do not have words to describe what I feel. I am so happy".
"Before the war I used to come here for the Catholic Christmas, but this is the first time since the war that I have attended a midnight mass here", Jadranka, 72, a Serb, said after the service. "All I could think of during this mass was: Why did the war happen to us? I still do not have the answer, but I am glad that we of different religions can live together again," Jadranka added.
Some 500 Croats returned to the Banja Luka region out of some 30,000 expelled by Bosnian Serbs during the war, Ivica Bozinovic, a priest said.
Bishop Komarica expressed his sadness for about 220,000 Croats from the whole of Bosnia, or two-thirds of the country's Croat community, who were not celebrating this Christmas in their homes, but as refugees.
"Send a word to our brothers that dawn of better days is rising in Banja Luka and that this church's bells that are ringing now are sending a message of peace and forgiveness here," Komarica asked all worshippers at the end of the mass.
