"Due to sudden changes of the political and economic system some individuals quickly got rich, while more and more citizens are getting poorer," said Archbishop Josip Bozanic. "What we are seeing at work are the sins of the political structures, made possible by laws whose primary aim was not the common good of man and society." Croatia gained its independence from Communist Yugoslavia in 1991 and then became embroiled in war with Serbians who opposed the split. In 1994, the government instituted an economic austerity program to bring inflation under control, but many people subsequently fell into poverty.
"Our society, which carried out its transition at times when attention was focused on the wars ... is called upon to reconsider the difficult conditions in which most of the population, especially in the cities, has found itself," Archbishop Bozanic said. "The new name for reconciliation in today's Croatia is dialogue, tolerance, respect for democratic procedures ... the preference of the common good over various party, group, and local interests," he said.