Zadar, (IKA) – That Your Joy May be Complete was the motto of the Sixth Encounter of Croatian Catholic Youth, which was held in Zadar on May 8 and 9. The Archdiocese of Zadar hosted approximately 30,000 young people. The celebration of the Mass in front of the Višnjik Sports Center on Saturday, May 8, was led by the archbishop of Zadar, Msgr. Želimir Puljić, in concelebration with all the Croatian bishops and over 400 priests from Croatia and other countries.

At the beginning of the celebration of the Mass, the president of the Committee for Young People of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Bishop Ante Ivas of Šibenik, told the young people that they are the consolation of the Church and the Church loves them.

The archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, read a telegram to the young people from Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope expressed heartfelt greetings to all the participants in the encounter, urged them to pray for priests and new vocations, and if they felt a calling to respond to it and follow Christ. The telegram was signed by the state secretary of the Holy See, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.

At the beginning of the Mass, the new archbishop of Zadar, Msgr. Želimir Puljić, spoke of the recently deceased former archbishop of Zadar, Msgr. Ivan Prenđa of blessed memory, who was supposed to be the host of the encounter but died unexpectedly earlier this year. Archbishop Puljić greeted all the young people who had come from various parts of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and other parts of Europe and the world. The archbishop said that young people today are being offered places for false entertainment and pleasure where consolation is sometimes sought in alcohol and drugs. He urged young Catholics to open themselves to Jesus Christ and to find genuine joy in him.

Joy is not merely a fleeting sensation. Jesus wants us to afford ourselves of genuine joy. He urges us to be joyful and offers us joy. Jesus makes us joyful and strong when he feeds us with his body and then sends us into the world to spread joy amidst sad circumstances through our faith, said Archbishop Puljić, adding that Christ also sends young believers to the Church, which sometimes loses credibility due to the errors of its pastors, to be bearers of joy through their faith.

He told the young people not to fear the doubts, downfalls and trials that are an integral part of youth. Jesus wants to transform youthful doubts into living faith. Do not allow doubts to separate you from the vine that is Jesus Christ, said Archbishop Puljić, telling the young people to be bearers of joy, hope and mutual trust from faith in the Resurrected Christ.

The participants in the Encounter of Croatian Catholic Youth sent a letter to Pope Benedict XVI. “We are aware that we are living at a time when we are being offered false values. From today’s encounter, we wish to say that we find joy through living according to the joy of Christ,” states the letter in which the young persons conveyed their support and prayers for the Pope.

At the end of the encounter, the young persons were addressed by the archbishop of Đakovo-Osijek and president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Msgr. Marin Srakić, who announced that the next Encounter of Croatian Catholic Youth will be held in Sisak in 2012, in the center of the newly established Diocese of Sisak. He urged the young people to convey the joy from their encounter in Zadar to their homes, friends, families, local churches and country.