Grinning cardinal on ‘Habemus Papam’ balcony turns 80

On May 8, Cardinal Puljic's sincere smile was noticed during Pope Leo XIV's first public appearance on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. Social media was abuzz with comments about his clear rejoicing at his friend's election.

Little known to the public, this discreet cardinal had just participated in his third conclave.

During the event, he assumed the role of cardinal protopriest, the most senior of the cardinal electors of the order of priests. It was in this capacity that, on May 18, he recited the formal prayer of inauguration during the Mass marking the beginning of Leo XIV's pontificate.

Born in Yugoslavia in 1945 to a very poor Croatian Catholic family in Banja Luka, in Bosnian territory, Vinko Puljic is the twelfth of 13 children. He lost his mother when he was only three years old and was raised by his stepmother. Showing great piety from an early age, the young Vinko recounts learning to pray the rosary with his father Ivan.

A few miles from his village was the Trappist monastery of Mariastern: one of the monks, Brother Ante Antner, encouraged him to enter the minor seminary. As Vinko's father could not afford it, Brother Antner sold his motorbike to cover the expenses.

The young Vinko then went to Croatia and joined the minor seminary in Zagreb, then the one in Djakovo. He then entered the major seminary in Djakovo and was ordained in 1970 in the context of Tito's communist Yugoslavia, marked by restrictions on religious freedom.

His bishop sent him to serve as chaplain in his hometown of Banja Luka, then for a few months in Sasina, and finally in Ravska, a mining town where he remained for five years. In 1975, he was appointed spiritual director of the minor seminary in Zadar.

A passionate educator, he took great care to follow the formation of his seminarians from beginning to end, visiting them in their parishes and continuing their formation after their ordination.

His passion for education was noticed and earned him a transfer to Sarajevo to administer the major seminary. However, a few weeks later, Father Puljic learned that John Paul II had appointed him archbishop of the future capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and he traveled to Rome, where the Polish pope ordained him on January 6, 1991.

The Berlin Wall had just fallen. But for the archbishop of Sarajevo, who was just 45 years old, it was the beginning of a very difficult period that would also put him in the media spotlight around the world.

In 1991, a bellicose wind was blowing over the embers of a decaying Yugoslavia. His diocese was hit hard by this political and ethnic conflict, with 1992 being the year the terrible siege of Sarajevo began.

It was a trial in which he distinguished himself for his unwavering support for refugees and exiles. He mobilized the entire Church apparatus to call for an end to the conflict and to come to the aid of the many civilian victims on the ground. He was the only religious leader to remain in the city throughout the conflict, and was even imprisoned. On numerous occasions, he risked his life to visit his faithful and earned the esteem of his country's politicians.

John Paul II was overcome with remorse: “When I laid my hands on you on January 6, 1991, to consecrate you as pastor of the Church of Sarajevo, I had no idea that very soon your cross would be so heavy and your cup so bitter,” he told him.

An advocate for interfaith dialogue, he cultivated friendly relations with Muslim and Orthodox leaders to call for peace. His efforts earned him the great admiration of the pope, who in 1994 made him a cardinal, the first in his country's history.

Vinko Puljic was only 49 years old at the time. The Catholic Church made him its spokesperson and sent him around the world to plead for an end to the war, until it finally came to an end in 1996.

In 1997, as a reward, he received a historic visit from John Paul II to the ruins of Sarajevo, a trip originally planned for 1994 but postponed at the last minute due to ongoing fighting.

At the end of the war, Vinko Puljic devoted his next 20 years as archbishop to rebuilding what had been destroyed in a country whose stability remained fragile. In particular, he set up an interfaith council to facilitate regular dialogue with other religious representatives.

Until 2015 and the arrival of Pope Francis in Sarajevo, Cardinal Puljic continued his mission behind the scenes, participating in the conclaves of 2005 and 2013. In 2020, he contracted COVID-19. He recovered, but emerged weakened from the ordeal. In 2022, the Argentine pope accepted his resignation at the age of 77, after 31 years of service at the head of the Bosnian capital. Initially announced as absent from the 2025 conclave due to health problems, the cardinal eventually joined the Vatican to participate in his third papal election.

The College of Cardinals currently has 248 members. Until October 15, the College has 128 voting members and 120 non-voting members. However, on October 15, the cardinal to turn 80 is Antonio Cañizares Llovera, the retired archbishop of Valencia, who was already absent from the May conclave due to health reasons.

Peter Turkson of Ghana, currently chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, would in principle become cardinal protopriest in the event of a conclave, with Cardinal Michael Kitbunchu, 96-year-old archbishop emeritus of Bangkok, remaining titular cardinal protopriest.