This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a period that deeply shaped Slovenia and the world. In a recent statement, the Slovenian Bishops’ Conference (SŠK) highlighted the tragic extrajudicial killings that followed the end of the war, and called for truth, reconciliation and respect for the dignity of all victims.
After the end of the Second World War, mass extrajudicial killings took place in Slovenia, claiming the lives of many people. In a recent statement, the Slovenian Bishops’ Conference expressed its sympathy with all the victims and their families and condemned all forms of violence and injustice. In its statement, the Conference stressed that a dignified burial of all victims is a fundamental human, legal and civilisational duty. Obstructing this process or delaying the burial is a violation of human dignity and an obstacle to the reconciliation process in the Slovenian nation.
The Bishops’ Conference also called for a clear and fair recognition of all forms of violence and condemnation of criminal extrajudicial killings, regardless of the perpetrators. It also encouraged independent historical research, which should not serve ideological ends, but rather try to bring about a comprehensive understanding of the past. It particularly stressed the unacceptability of the fact that victims such as those from the cave under Macesnova gorica are still unburied and suggested Ljubljana’s Žale cemetery as a suitable final resting place for the victims.
Call for Reconciliation and Peace
In the spirit of Christian mercy and forgiveness, the Slovenian Bishops’ Conference encourages all Slovenians to strive for peace and reconciliation through prayer and action. It stressed the importance of mutual respect and cooperation in its statement, which are key to building a just society. The Church also calls for education for peace, respect for human dignity and national harmony, especially among young people.
Concrete acts of reconciliation, such as joint commemorations, the erection of memorials and confidence-building initiatives, are, in the view of the Bishops’ Conference, needed in order to overcome divisions and build a united future based on truth, justice and compassion.
We want reconciliation that is not forgetfulness or silence, but a sincere pursuit of a comprehensive truth that acknowledges every form of suffering, without distorting history. Only the truth will set us free (as written in John, 8:32, among other sources).
Prayer for the victims and the future of the nation
The Slovenian Bishops’ Conference invites all believers and people of good will to remember in prayer the victims of the post-war massacres and all those who suffered during and after the war. At the same time, it calls for a respectful dialogue about the past, which will enable us as a nation to look to the future with hope and unity.
Signatories of the Declaration
The following bishops have signed the Slovenian Bishops’ Conference statement on the 80th anniversary of the extrajudicial killings:
– Msgr. Andrej Saje, Bishop of Novo mesto and President of the Slovenian Bishops’ Conference,
– Msgr. Stanislav Zore, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Ljubljana,
– Msgr. Peter Štumpf, Bishop of Koper,
– Msgr. Maksimilian Matjaž, Bishop of Celje,
– Msgr. Anton Jamnik, Auxiliary Bishop of Ljubljana,
– Msgr. Franc Šuštar, Auxiliary Bishop of Ljubljana,
– Msgr. Jurij Bizjak, retired Bishop of Koper,
– Msgr. Andrej Glavan, retired Bishop of Novo mesto,
– Msgr. Stanislav Lipovšek, retired Bishop of Celje.
C. Š.
