Retired Anglican clergyman paved way for Pope's historic visit to Banja Luka

BY LUKE COPPEN
A REIIRED Anglican vicar played a key role in securing Pope John Paul II's visit to Banja Luke, The Catholic Herald has learned.
The Revd Donald Reeves, a former incumbent of St James's church, Piccadilly, central London, helped to persuade the Pope to make a 10-hour visit to the capital of Serb-run Bosnia.
The Pontiff had originally intended to beatify the layman Ivan Merz during his visit to Croatia earlier this month, but after Mr Reeves spoke with Vatican officials the Pope changed his mind and decided to hold the beatification ceremony in Banja Luke.
Mr Reeves said he did not wish to exaggerate his influ
ence on the Pope's decision, but he said he had tried to persuade Vatican officials to arrange a papal visit to the embattled Catholic community in the Republic of Srpska.
During ethnic fighting in the 1990s many of Banja. Luke's 45,000 Catholics fled the city. Fewer than 3,000 have gone back to their homes, despite international agreements guaranteeing their safe return.
"Last year I went to the Vatican and I met the private secretary of a cardinal who arranges the visits of the Pope,Mr Reeves explained.
"I said I thought it was a pity that the Pope would not be visiting the Diocese of Banja Luisa, which has been described as the 'vanishing diocese'. Bishop Komarica [of Banja Luka] said it was something I said that changed the Pope's mind."
Mr Reeves became involved in Bosnian affairs after his retirement in 1998, when he founded the Soul of Europe Project.
The project aimed to promote religious tolerance and cooperation across Europe. Mr Reeves travelled to Banja Luisa, where he met the town's religious leaders.
In September 2001, he invited them to Coventry for a historic face-to-face discussion on the future of the region. The leader of Banja Luke's Muslim community has invited The Soul of Europe to rebuild the Ferhadija Mosque, one of the great Muslim monuments in Bosnia and once the most significant landmark in the city.
In recognition of his work, Mr Reeves was presented to the Pope on Sunday by his friend, Bishop Franjo Komarica.
"I was hauled up to meet the Pope," he said. "After the liturgy, I went up and he gave me his blessing. He held my hand very tightly. I felt very validated."
Mr Reeves said he hoped the Pope's appeal for God's forgiveness for the sins of Catholics during centuries of ethnic strife would give new momentum to reconciliation work.
-This is a great opportunity, because if people don't see that the door is open now, you might as well give up.
"We must seize the moment. The Pope can do more. It's time for other people to take the work on."