Zagreb, (IKA) – In the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Stephen of Hungary in Zagreb, on the Seventh Sunday of Easter, June 5, there will be celebration of the Second Vespers led by Pope Benedict XVI together with the Croatian bishops, priests and religious.
The Holy Father will be welcomed at the cathedral by assembled bishops, priests, religious, nuns, seminarians, theology students and religious candidates from the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Upon arriving at the front entrance to the cathedral, the Pope will be greeted by the canons and prebendaries of the Cathedral Chapter of Zagreb. At the entrance, two canons and Auxiliary Bishops Msgr. Mijo Gorski and Msgr. Ivan Šaško of Zagreb will bring the Holy Father blessed water, with which he will make the sign of the cross, and a crucifix that he will venerate with a kiss.
Accompanied by organ music, the Holy Father will enter the cathedral, where he will be greeted by those assembled. Arriving at the prepared kneeler before the sanctuary, he will pause a moment in adoration and silent prayer. Then he will enter the sacristy, where he will prepare for the celebration of Vespers, accompanied by the members of his entourage, canons and prebendaries.
The solemn liturgy of the Vespers will begin with the entrance of a procession accompanied by the hymn Tu es Petrus. Arriving at the sanctuary, the Holy Father will go to the cathedra. At the conclusion of the entrance antiphon, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, Archbishop of Zagreb, will address the Pope with words of welcome, at the conclusion of which he will present the Pope with a gift from the Archdiocese of Zagreb, a copy of the icon of Our Lady of the Stone Gate.
The Holy Father will begin the celebration with the invocation: “God, make haste to help me,” to which those assembled will respond: “Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father…” This will be followed by the hymn Come O Creator, Spirit Come – O dođi Stvorče, Duše Svet. In the psalmody of the Vespers, Psalms 110 and 111 will be recited, concluding with the hymn from Rev. 19, 1-7 (The Wedding of the Lamb – Svadba Jaganjčeva). There will be a brief reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (10, 12-14), after which the Pope will deliver a homily. After the homily, all will remain silent for a time, contemplating the Word of God and the Holy Father’s message. This will be followed by rest of Vespers.
At the conclusion of Vespers, the Pope will go to the tomb of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac and then, kneeling, will remain in prayer. During this time, all will pray in silence.
As the Holy Father returns to the cathedra, those assembled, led by the choir, will sing a hymn in honor of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac. The Pope will impart his apostolic blessing upon all assembled. The Pope will then go to the sacristy and remove his liturgical vestments. Everyone will remain for a time in the cathedral in order to greet the Holy Father as he passes through on his way to the Palace of the Archbishop. While the Holy Father and servers go to the sacristy, all will sing a hymn of praise to the Blessed Virgin Mary.