Rijeka, (IKA) – On October 21, the Secretary of the Holy See for Relations with States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, led the celebration of Mass at the Cathedral of St. Vitus in Rijeka. Twenty bishops, including the Apostolic Nuncio in the Republic of Croatia, Roberto Cassari; the Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić; the President of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and Archbishop of Đakovo-Osijek, Archbishop Marin Srakić; and the host bishop, Archbishop Ivan Devčić of Rijeka, together with numerous priests and the faithful who gathered in the packed cathedral, participated in the celebration of the Eucharist that concluded the 41st Plenary Session of the Croatian Conference of Bishops in Lovran.
In the homily, Archbishop Mamberti urged the faithful to bear witness to the gospel without fear. “Jesus’ heroic witness, who can serve us as an example, was a son of this land, the Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, who during his lifetime had to confront the triple evils of the 20th century: Nazism, fascism and communism. His faithfulness to the truth brought him persecution, imprisonment and ultimately death. Nevertheless, he remained faithful, without any compromise whatsoever, because his strength in the battle against evil was the Lord Jesus. More than ever, today’s world needs witnesses to the truth of the gospel. We cannot fear the truth, although it is not always profitable. On the contrary, it can lead to our being persecuted, even by those closest to us.” The Secretary of the Holy See explained that the faithful must be faithful to Christ not only in Church and at Mass but wherever they are.
“Today’s Gospel reminds us that a miraculous conversion should occur in the life of a Christian after encountering Jesus, a change in life’s direction. His identity is not limited to ‘traditional’ daily prayer and ‘simply attending Mass’ once a week. All of this is of very great importance but it should be translated into choosing the kind of life that is founded and centered upon Jesus Christ and his commandments,” concluded Archbishop Mamberti.
Archbishop Devčić extended greetings and reminisced about the recent pilgrimage by 550 of the faithful from the Archdiocese of Rijeka to Rome and their meeting with the Holy Father. “After the Eucharistic year that we concluded with the celebration of the Archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress at the Shrine of Our Lady of Trsat, we wanted to go to Rome and the Holy Father to bear witness to our fidelity and devotion. Meeting tonight with you, his closest associate, revives unforgettable memories from that wonderful encounter,” said Archbishop Devčić.