Catholics in employment, education, and other areas. He confirmed that he will continue to try to establish a dialogue and peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was disrupted by the recent war in the country. Women and marriage In May 2016, Puljić drew controversy after appealing to women in a sermon in Zadar, Croatia not to have sexual intercourse before marriage so that they wouldn't become a "štraca", which is a local slang word for a "whore". The word became a meme, as well, spawning the creation of various Facebook groups numbering thousands of people. The cardinal claimed in response that his words were "taken out of context" despite different implications based on the transcript of the sermon, but concedes that the word he used is too harsh. Clergy sex abuse In February 2019, Puljić said in an interview that there were several cases of clergy abuse in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well, but that he did not report them to the police. Puljić did not publish the names of the abusers or the place where they were at the service. Personal life On 2 December 2020, it was confirmed that Puljić tested positive for COVID-19, amid its pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina; by 12 December, he recovered. References External links Biography @ catholic-pages.com Meeting with Cardinal Puljic, Bosnia and Herzegovina U.S. Institute of Peace Event, May 2006 (Audio available) 1945 births Living people Bishops of Banja Luka Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina cardinals Archbishops of Vrhbosna Bishops appointed by Pope John Paul II 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Bosnia and Herzegovina 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Bosnia and Herzegovina Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II P