Cardinal Franc Rode, the former archbishop of Ljubljana, said that all Slovenians are responsible for their homeland and that they should strive to make it a "place of justice, solidarity and brotherhood", as he celebrated a special mass for the homeland in Beltinci on Friday.
At the mass, celebrated ahead of the central celebration marking the unification of Slovenia's northeastermnost region of Prekmurje with Slovenia after the end of the First World War, Rode also stressed the importance of strengthening national conscience.
"We are all called on to participate in this great task, we are all responsible for its implementation, no one should be excluded. This is the only way the state will be everyone's responsibility," he continued.
Rode added that despite not having reached all the goals stated in the first political platform for united Slovenia, written in 1848, Slovenians can be happy with what they have achieved.
He believes that having a state presents a great opportunity for the people to create their own history. Indeed, by becoming independent, Slovenians have become a subject of history and not only an object in foreign hands as this was the case in the past.
The cardinal also stressed that a wise politician does not see an enemy in his opponent. A politician who wants to build a country should in Rode's view be ready to accept the proposals of the opposition, as it also expresses the will of the people.
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