May she rest in peace, but where?Jasna NUJIC
(in Kresevo, Herceg Bosna)
There has been a lot of excitement in Bosnia Herzegovina in recent months regarding the final burial place of the last queen of BiH, Katarina Kosaca Kotromanic. The Queen is currently buried in the Aracoeli Church in Rome in Italy.
Many believe that Her Royal Highness should be buried in her homeland where she is still very much revered by millions of Catholic Croatians, not only in Bosnia Herzegovina but beyond its borders as well.
Herein lies the problem. There are four towns vying for the privilege of being the final resting place for this great lady, who is an integral part of history in the region.
Naturally, there is the town of Blagaj, where the queen was born and raised. Equally important is Bobovac, where the Kotromanic dynasty last reigned. The town of Jajce, where Kraljica Katarina gave so much to build the main church is also a contender and finally the museum in Sarajevo, the nation's capital.
The possible return of Queen to her former kingdom and homeland would be a definite boost for Bosnia Herzegovina's Croatian population.
Kraljica Katarina has not been forgotten here and many towns and churches have been dedicated to her memory. There are also still groups who remain active, almost six centuries after her passing that are keeping her memory alive.
Croatians in Bosnia Herzegovina still hold the Queen very dear in their hearts. There is no doubt that Kraljica Katarina's return would be a major boost for the Croatian national identity in the region, not to mention the positive influence such a move would be religiously and spiritually.
One of the key factors that must be taken into consideration in choosing a final resting place for Kraljica Katarina is the fact that the Queen has been recognized by the Catholic Church and is one step away from sainthood. October 25th is the day celebrated on the Croatian Catholic calendar as Blazena (Blessed) Kraljica Katarina Kotromanic Day.
The Queen has been given a Catholic burial, as per her own request and, as she is buried in a church, the church hierarchy should have the ultimate say with regards to her final resting place.
Bearing all this in mind, placing the remains of Kraljica Katarina in the museum in Sarajevo would be an insult to her memory. Furthermore, to place the Queen in a glass cabinet and have people gawking at her earthly remains would be a terrible injustice to a woman who suffered so much in life, yet gave so much to her people.
How awful it would be to come and pay respects to someone - who is almost a saint - in a crowded and noisy museum. Kraljica Katarina deserves a more dignified resting place and should by no means have her remains exposed for all to see.
As she is being considered for sainthood, those who feel a connection or a need should be able to pay homage to the Queen in a quiet place where they can reflect on her life and sacrifices and pray.
Kraljica Katarina has spent almost 600 years buried in a church. As such she deserves no less should her remains ever be returned to her homeland and kingdom and be buried with the same dignity as she was at the time of her death.
No doubt there are those in government positions who will be looking at the Queen's return as a boost to tourism and, therefore, we can assume that this would be their argument for placing the Queen's remains in the museum in Sarajevo.
However, considering how poorly the remains of other members of the Kotromanic Dynasty have been kept, this should not be an option and should not have been an option for other members of the royal family either.
Most cultures have a healthy respect for the deceased, and rightfully so. We visit our dearly departed in cemeteries. We take flowers to their graves, light candles and say prayers. We remember them and spend time searching our souls in quiet reflection. More often than not we also elect to be buried close to our previously deceased family members.
Do Kraljica Katarina and the rest of the Kotromanic royal family deserve any less? Certainly not! Therefore, with the return of Kraljica Katarina's remains, the remains of the rest of the family should also be buried at the same location as the Queen and preferably in church sanctified grounds where they can be laid to rest in an honourable and dignified manner and where people can come and pay their respects in the same manner they would a friend or family member.
Long before moving to the Kresevo region, I began looking into the life of Kraljica Katarina and the Kotromanic dynasty in Bosnia Herzegovina. The life of the Queen was not an easy one despite her being a royal. She saw her kingdom pillaged and many of her people forced into another religion and killed. Her children were stolen from her and many of her family members murdered by the invading Turks. The Queen herself was forced into exile never to set foot in her homeland again.
In spite of it all, she never gave up hope that one day her children would be returned to her, although she never saw them again. The Queen spent the remainder of her life in exile, yet she never stopped fighting and campaigning for the freedom of her people.
Will her people now do the same for her?To have a Croatian queen brought back to her homeland and her people, after so many centuries in exile, would without a doubt be a moment in history that would be remembered for many generations to come. By no means should we stand by and watch this iconic figure in the history of Croatians in Bosnia Herzegovina be degraded as 'just another exhibit' in a museum.
In that case, it would be preferable to keep the remains of Kraljica Katarina where she currently lies - in the Aracoeli Church in Rome.
I, for one, will be praying for a more dignified and deserving resting place for this remarkable woman. Currently she is still known as Blessed Katarina Kosaca-Kotromanic.
One day she will be sainted and a museum is no place for a saint's final resting place.
newgeneration.croatianherald.com/History/tabid/99/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/2408/Kraljica-Katarina-of-Bosnia.aspx