Zagreb, (IKA) – There will be an encounter between Pope Benedict XVI and young persons at Ban Josip Jelačić Square in Zagreb on Saturday, June 4, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The Holy Father will ride by Popemobile through Ilica Street to Ban Josip Jelačić Square, cross the square and stop on the south side of the area for the liturgical celebration. After the Pope leaves the Popemobile, he will be greeted by the mayor of Zagreb, Milan Bandić, and presented with the keys to the city. The Holy Father will then ascend to the altar area, greet the young people and be seated.
The President of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Archbishop Marin Srakić of Đakovo-Osijek, will briefly greet the Holy Father and pay his respects.
The Holy Father will begin the Prayer Vigil with the sign of the cross. The introductory prayer will be followed by the Word of God. A reading has been chosen for this encounter from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (4, 4-9). A passage from Psalm 34 (2-9) will be sung. After the proclamation of the Word of God, everyone will be seated and two young persons will present their testimonies about Christian living. Then Pope Benedict XVI will deliver a homily, followed by the Prayer of the Faithful with five petitions.
At the conclusion of the Prayer of the Faithful, the Holy Father will retire to the sacristy, where he will change into liturgical vestments.
This will be followed by adoration and the Eucharistic blessing. While a priest and servers bring the Blessed Sacrament from the cathedral in a procession and expose it on the altar, the choir and all those assembled will sing: “Holy, holy, holy” – Svet, svet, svet. The Holy Father will go before the altar, kneel on a kneeler and incense the Blessed Sacrament. The priest-interpreter will invite the assembly to pray together and in silence celebrate the Lord in the mystery of the Eucharist (5 minutes of silence). Then two young persons will lead the prayer of the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus.
After the prayer of the Litany, all will remain for some time in prayer and adoration. The choir and those assembled will sing the Eucharistic hymn “Down in Adoration Falling” – Divnoj dakle, during which the Holy Father will kneel and incense the Blessed Sacrament. He will then rise and pray the following: Let us pray. Lord God, your Son Jesus Christ was born for us of the Virgin Mary and suffered on the cross. We believe and confess that he is present in the Blessed Sacrament. We pray that we may draw the gift of eternal salvation from this divine source, through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Holy Father, cloaked in a veil, will approach the altar, bow, and a deacon priest will gives him the monstrance, with which he will bless those assembled. The Holy Father will then go in front of the altar and remain turned toward the it. During this time, “Blessed be God” – Blagoslovljen budi Bog will be sung. The deacon will remove the Blessed Sacrament from the monstrance and place it in a custodia. The Blessed Sacrament will then be taken to the chapel behind the altar, to be exposed in the Church of the Wounded Jesus for personal adoration and prayer.
The choir and those assembled will begin singing the hymn “Hail Mary, Queen of the Croats” – Zdravo djevo.
The Holy Father will approach the painting of Our Lady of the Stone Gates, pray briefly before it and adorn it with his personal gift, a rosary.
The Holy Father will then enter the sacristy, where he will remove his liturgical vestments. While the Pope is in the sacristy, a group of young persons in folk costumes will approach the altar and stand around it, greeting the Holy Father with the song “Lord, When You Came to the Seashore” – Krist na žalu.
The Holy Father will then be presented with a traditional Croatian musical instrument, a tamburitza.
The Holy Father will go toward Bakač Street, where the Popemobile will be waiting for him. He will ride in the Popemobile on Bakač Street, pass the square in front of the cathedral, greet the crowd assembled there and continue on Kaptol Street to the Apostolic Nunciature.