By: C.R.
In Ivančna Gorica, Prime Minister Janez Janša attended a memorial ceremony in memory of the first mass for Slovenian soldiers and in honour of the 30th anniversary of the independent and democratic Republic of Slovenia. On this occasion, the Prime Minister attended a mass for the homeland, where the Archbishop of Ljubljana and Metropolitan Msgr. Stanislav Zore said mass together, and had a solemn address at the memorial ceremony.
During the war for Slovenia, at Mali Hud near Ivančna Gorica, members of the Territorial Defence (TD) prepared a blockade in the event of the arrival of YPA armoured units from the direction of Novo mesto. Among the members of the TD at that time was also the priest Jože Plut, to whom his comrades turned as a priest and also asked him for a mass. The mass, which was held in a safe location in the woods on July 4th, was attended by all members of the TD, with the exception of those on duty. Members of the TD prepared an improvised place of worship, a cross (now housed in the military museum in the cadet school in Maribor) and participated in reading readings and ministering. This event was the first mass for Slovenian military units after the end of World War II. Spiritual care during the war for Slovenia and the first mass are considered to be the beginning of spiritual care for members of the Slovenian Army.
The mayor of the municipality of Ivančna Gorica, Dušan Strnad, and the priest Jože Plut also addressed those gathered at the ceremony.
In his solemn address, Prime Minister Janez Janša emphasised that a piece of Slovenian history had been written 30 years ago not far from the place where today’s event took place. “Everything happens for the first time and the first Holy Mass in the time immediately after we got an independent and sovereign state and when we were forced to defend it has a multifaceted meaning,” the Prime Minister said, adding that previous speakers had explained some layers of that event, and he himself then spoke about things we might have forgotten a bit in 30 years.
“Slovenians have a turbulent history behind us. We have never attacked anyone in this history, we have never had any colonies. We have inflicted the greatest evil on ourselves and we are still healing these wounds,” said the Prime Minister, adding that “the first Holy Mass was in those worst times, when it was a matter of life and death, when we were already burying the first victims in Slovenian parishes, our comrades-in-arms: Edvard Peperk, Peter Petrič, Željko Ernoič, Jernej Molan and many others who fell in uniform or were killed as civilians because the YPA also attacked civilian targets, demolished Gornja Radgona, rocketed civilian vehicles in traffic on the roads, in short those who initiated the Holy Mass were aware in the depths of their hearts and souls that now it was all about everything, that it was not just about whether the state that had been proclaimed would survive, but also about whether we would survive as people, as citizens, that is, as those without whom no country exists.” And that prayer, according to the Prime Minister, helped. “However, the prayer did not take place only here. It took place in many Slovenian churches, in shelters, where people prayed during the sirens of an air attack, and this prayer was an expression of something we have never tried to put into practice in an assessment or in words. It was about the fact that at that time we Slovenes took steps with which we wished ourselves well, but at the same time we did not wish anything bad to anyone else,” said the Prime Minister. He added that our act was an expression of good.
“If we compare what was happening in Slovenia with what was later happening on the territory of the country we were leaving, it is incomparable. Thanks to a good defence, we also had great military successes, the YPA fell to practically a third of its combat capabilities. We had more than 5,000 prisoners and refugees, we did not treat anyone badly, no one was killed, the boys got civilian clothes, train tickets and went home. This word about it has spread throughout the former common state, and remember the scenes when the mothers of these soldiers shouted at the assembly in Belgrade and demanded their sons back,” the Prime Minister recalled. “If we had acted differently, the reactions would have been different, and we would have talked about thousands of victims on both sides and it would be hard to say that our decisive action at the time was then something where we wanted good for ourselves, nothing bad for others and good for all,” the prime minister added.
According to him, in the last 30 years Slovenia has acted in this direction, that is, that we have tried to do good for ourselves, also for others, even when the responsibility of formal care for other nations has been placed on our shoulders, with which we now share our lives within the EU. “I think that such behaviour is in the nature of Slovenes. Even our anthem, if we look at all the stanzas, speaks of everything, and when Mitja Okorn portrayed this view of himself and others in a video based on Prešeren’s Zdravljica, it is a language that everyone understands. It says more than thousands of words or dozens of books,” said Prime Minister Janez Janša.
“They say that God looked at us with special attention twice. Once, 30 years ago, when we committed an act in which there was no support except from our compatriots around the world, and we had to secure that support by our own actions. And by the fact that those who came here saw with their own eyes what the truth was and what the propaganda was and what was happening all over Slovenia at that time, including prayers in churches, TD units, it was something that it came from our essence, our identity,” said the Prime Minister. He added that God looked at us benevolently even when he shared natural beauties.
“When we declared an independent Slovenia 30 years ago, the programme provided for the symbolic blessing of the Slovenian linden tree from the very beginning. Archbishop Alojzij Šuštar did this with selected words, but someone deliberately turned off the microphone, and Slovenia did not hear this blessing, so it had to be repeated in prayers in churches, units that defended Slovenia, and everyone for themselves. After 30 years we have corrected this mistake a little and a sincere thank you to Archbishop Stanislav Zoret for blessing Slovenia after 30 years so that we all heard him, that we were aware that this blessing is intended for everyone, regardless of political belief, opinion on the past and the future, the religion, that it is a blessing of something we understand by the word good intention,” said the Prime Minister.
“When I walk around Slovenia these days and attend ceremonies like today, it seems to me that there has never been anything like this in Slovenia in the last 30 years. That we became aware of the Slovenia that was emerging at the time, that it is not forgotten, including the fact that we finally heard the blessing, all of this points to signs that we are at the beginning of some rebirth. That on the 30th anniversary we began to realise that 30 years ago we took a step that took us to a state where we master of our land, that we have written our own judgment and that it is up to us and not to others how we will live in the future,” said Prime Minister Janez Janša, adding that after 30 years we are more aware than ever of the common values and values of Slovenian independence, what is a good intention, what is it that you want the best for yourself and others and that you are open to others, the beginning of some new steps.
“In the coming days, when there will be even more of these ceremonies, we will do everything to make this awareness spread as much as possible among us, because on that basis it will be easier. We must be aware that Slovenians fought for freedom and democracy on our own, no one gave us anything, we owe nothing to anyone, we can look everyone in the eye with pride and we can talk to everyone proudly and sovereignly,” he emphasised and concluded his address with the words: “God lives Slovenia!”
After the Mass and at the end of the memorial ceremony, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Janez Janša and the Mayor of Ivančna Gorica Dušan Strnad unveiled a memorial in memory of the first Mass for Slovenian soldiers, blessed by the Archbishop of Ljubljana and Metropolitan Msgr. Stanislav Zore.
The exhibition “War for Slovenia 1991 – The Truth is in Victory!” by Boštjan Jakopac could also be seen at the venue.
Source: Gov.si.