Celebrating Easter mass on Sunday, the Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanic, called on the faithful to stand ready to help, notably displaced persons from Ukraine, and said "the future does not belong to thugs."

We are called upon not to be closed in ourselves, to build a world of unity and solidarity against discouragement and selfishness, the cardinal said.

He recalled philosopher Max Horkheimer’s statement that one should refuse to accept a reality according to which the executioner is always right in relation to his victim.

“The future does not belong to violence, that is the deep point of Easter,” Bozanic said.

Today we are praying for all our needs, for the homeland, for world peace, and primarily for peace in Ukraine, he said, adding that peace is necessary to those attacked as well as to the attackers, and mostly to the instigators and commanders.

“Let’s continue to stand ready to help charitably, notably in taking in the displaced. Our recent experience of war, suffering and exile strengthens our openness for generosity. We deeply believe that innocent victims will bring a blessing to those who in these weeks have been going through an ordeal unworthy of man.”

Bozanic concluded his sermon by quoting the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, who said in the Zagreb Cathedral on 13 April 1941 that peace was one of Christ’s most beautiful gifts after the resurrection. The relevance of his words is a strong message for our times, he said.

The mass was attended by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Veterans Minister Tomo Medved, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic, Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Korzinek, and Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman as well as, according to Bozanic, a group of refugees from Ukraine.