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World

Pope heads to Sarajevo to encourage post-war reconciliation _ and dwindling Catholic community

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Pope Francis boards the airplane on the occasion of his trip to Sarajevo, Bosnia, at Rome's Fiumicino International Airport, Saturday, June 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) (The Associated Press)

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    Pope Francis waves to journalists as he boards the airplane on the occasion of his trip to Sarajevo, Bosnia, at Rome's Fiumicino International Airport, Saturday, June 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) (The Associated Press)

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    People gather at the Kosevo Stadium to attend a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis, in Sarajevo, Saturday, June 6, 2015. Pope Francis is heading to Sarajevo for a one-day visit to encourage the dwindling number of Catholics to stay and help forge a peaceful future with Bosnia's Muslims and Orthodox Christians following a devastating three-way war. (AP Photo/Amel Emric) (The Associated Press)

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina – Pope Francis is heading to Sarajevo for a one-day visit to encourage the dwindling number of Catholics to stay and help forge a peaceful future with Bosnia's Muslims and Orthodox Christians following a devastating three-way war.

Some 100,000 people are expected to come from across the region to Sarajevo, a largely Muslim city of 300,000 that was once known as "Europe's Jerusalem" for its interfaith harmony among Christians, Muslims and Jews. It became synonymous with religious enmity during the 1992-95 conflict that left 100,000 dead and displaced half of the population.

Francis has said he is coming to Bosnia to support its post-war process of reconciliation, but to also encourage the tiny Catholic Croat community, which represents only about 15 percent of the population.