Rijeka, (IKA) – On Sunday, August 30, the Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, in concelebration with the Archbishop and Metropolitan of Rijeka, Msgr. Ivan Devčić; the Archbishop and Metropolitan of Ljubljana, Msgr. Stanislav Zore; and other bishops and priests, presided over the celebration of the Eucharist in Trsat in commemoration of the three hundredth anniversary of the coronation of the miraculous painting of Our Lady of Trsat.
In the homily, the cardinal spoke about the history of the shrine, which is rightfully called the Croatian Nazareth, pointing out that it was precisely in Nazareth, living in the Holy Family, that Jesus sanctified the human family as the fundamental unit of human society as desired by God, the place where coexistence is learned amidst diversity, and where parents transmit the faith to their children. He added that it is more necessary than ever to pray for the family, pray in the families and promote, preserve and protect the institution of the family because without families the cultural survival of mankind would be in jeopardy. Marital and familial relationships are serious values for everyone, not only believers, emphasized the cardinal.
“My dear faithful, listen to the words of Pope Francis: ‘Today, there are those who say that marriage is out of fashion. Is it out of fashion? In a culture of relativism and the ephemeral, many preach the importance of ‘enjoying’ the moment. They say that it is not worth making a life-long commitment, making a definitive decision ‘forever’ because we do not know what tomorrow will bring. I ask you, instead, to be revolutionaries, I ask you to swim against the tide; yes, I am asking you to rebel against this culture that sees everything as temporary and that ultimately believes you are incapable of responsibility, that believes you are incapable of true love'” (Address to the Volunteers of the Twenty-Eighth World Youth Day, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 28, 2013).
“The shrine in Trsat was also visited by the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, who prayed for Our Lady’s intercession and left a plaque there in thanksgiving,” said the cardinal. “Since in recent weeks I have been repeatedly asked about what is happening in regard to the canonization of Cardinal Stepinac, I want to clarify some points to you in connection with the latest developments,” said Cardinal Bozanić.
“On October 3, 1998, Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac was beatified as a martyr by the Holy Father John Paul II in Marija Bistrica, owing to his fidelity to Christ and the Church to the point of the shedding of his blood. This act was preceded by the long and complex process of detailed investigation and assessment at various levels of the court system. Numerous witnesses were interrogated, of whom 72 were eyewitnesses. In historical and theological commissions, the person and work of the blessed Archbishop of Zagreb were thoroughly investigated, all his sermons, pastoral encyclicals, private letters, diaries and notes. Various archives were consulted, including the archives of the Communist Party in Zagreb. The fruits of this enormous task, according to rigid scientific criteria, were included in the five-volume Position on Martyrdom. Prior to the beatification, the Position on Martyrdom was evaluated by a commission of theologians (1997) and then a commission of cardinals (1998). As we know, following beatification comes the final process, which is canonization, by which the beatus receives the title of saint. Canonization is not only human judgment but, in the first place, divine judgment that is manifested by a miracle attributed to the intercession of the candidate as sought by the faithful. In the case of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, the miraculous event presented has already been evaluated by the Medical Council of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (March 21, 2014) and the Congress of Theological Consultors of the same Congregation (June 3, 2014). We can say that the procedure at the Holy See is nearly completed with a positive conclusion, except for the verdict by the Commission of Cardinals and the official proclamation by the Holy Father.
However, in late June of last year, 2014, Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej gave a letter to the then Secretary for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, to be delivered to Pope Francis, in which the Patriarch expressed objections regarding the canonization of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac.
In February of this year (February 24, 2015), Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, sent Patriarch Irinej the Pope’s reply to the Patriarch’s objections. The reply states, among other things, that the Patriarch’s objections had already been subjected to procedural investigations, which indicated that Archbishop Stepinac was a pastor totally dedicated to the saving of souls, as a faithful follower of Christ and a model of Christian life. It also states that such assessments were made according to the consciences and expertise of the historians and theologians who examined the procedural documents.
Since the letter from Patriarch Irinej to the Holy Father indicates that the arguments according to which the Blessed Alojzije is a saint are not sufficiently clear, Pope Francis has proposed the formation of a working group composed of Catholic and Orthodox experts, who would examine disputed issues concerning the person of Cardinal Stepinac together, as well as events regarding relations between Croats and Serbs during the Second World War, according to the criterion of the whole truth.
Thus, Pope Francis has decided upon a special, almost unexpected ecumenical step, without historical precedent. The Holy Father wants the Serbian Orthodox Church to become acquainted with our arguments about why Cardinal Stepinac is holy so that his canonization will occur in an atmosphere of improved relations between these two Churches.
We know that every Church has its own autonomous system of canonization. Therefore, it is important to emphasize that the Serbian Orthodox Church does not enter into the process of the canonization of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac. What has been done will not be reassessed; there will be no revision of the process. We can say that the process for the canonization of the Blessed Alojzije has almost come to an end,” said Cardinal Bozanić.
He pointed out that Pope Francis does not want to desist from the canonization of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac because he is personally convinced of his holiness. “Therefore, in devotion to the Holy Father, we accept his decision, which perhaps extends the timeline until the canonization and requires additional human patience and trust in the guidance of Providence,” said the cardinal. He added that the Blessed Stepinac “during difficult times bore the cross of the Croatian nation. He did not encounter understanding from the right and was condemned by those on the left. He possessed rare clarity and an aptitude for the practical application of the principle of helping those in mortal danger during the turmoil of war. He was determined that the Church Council should condemn nationalism as a plague of the human race. However, regarding the rights of people and nationalities, he was unsurpassed in his love for his own nation. In this equilibrium enlightened by the grace of God, the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac remains an example and model.”
The cardinal asked whether the canonization of Cardinal Stepinac would “help make it possible for the full truth about this tragic period of our history to become better known, in order to debunk the myths produced by the ideology of communism and Yugoslavism, generating constant tensions, divisions and internal enemies,” and pointed out that an objective rereading of the interethnic and interconfessional relations in these regions is needed. Now the initiative of Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej is entering into this entire process, which, we hope, will contribute to the better and broader understanding of the truth about the life and work of the Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, and the truth will set us free!”
“We place all the intentions of Pope Francis, all the efforts of our Church, especially in the area of ecumenism, under the intercession of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, praying even more persistently for his canonization. We pray today for peace in the world, for those suffering the consequences of war, especially in Ukraine and the Near East. We pray that all refugees and displaced persons will encounter openness and understanding in Europe and the world,” concluded Cardinal Bozanić.
The three hundredth anniversary of the coronation of the painting of Our Lady of Grace, which Pope Urban V gave to the Shrine of Trsat in 1367 and which, according to legend, was painted by St. Luke the Evangelist personally, brought many pilgrims to Trsat from Croatia and Slovenia, as well as representatives of the state and local authorities. The celebration was held under the auspices of the Croatian Parliament, as on September 8, 1715, when the painting received its golden crown. It was the first Marian painting outside of Italy that a pope had crowned.
Already in the fifteenth century, the Holy Father granted a special indulgence to those who come to venerate the painting. The painting is located on the main altar, where it is venerated by all who make pilgrimages to the shrine, and is taken from the church for various processions, for example, on the Feast of Our Lady of Trsat and the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven.