Zagreb, (IKA) – The Feast of Our Lady of the Stone Gates, the patron saint of the city of Zagreb, was celebrated on Saturday, May 31, which is also City of Zagreb Day. Mass in the Zagreb cathedral and a procession from the cathedral to the Stone Gates were led by the president of the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE), the president of the Hungarian Conference of Bishops and archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Cardinal Peter Erdö.
The concelebrants included the apostolic nuncio in the Republic of Croatia, Archbishop Mario Roberto Cassari; the president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Bishop Marin Srakić of Đakovo and Srijem; the archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić; the bishop of Varaždin, Msgr. Josip Mrzljak; the auxiliary bishops of Zagreb, Msgrs. Vlado Košić, Valentin Pozaić and Ivan Šaško; the secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature, Msgr. Henrik Mieczyslaw Jagodzinski; the general secretary of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Msgr. Vjekoslav Huzjak; the vicar general of the Military Ordinariate, Josip Šantić; and approximately a hundred priests, including provincials, canons, pastors and vicars of the Zagreb parishes.
At the beginning of the Mass, on behalf of the bishops, priests, religious and Christ’s faithful laity, Cardinal Josip Bozanić welcomed Cardinal Peter Erdö, pointing out that Cardinal Erdö had come from neighboring Hungary, to which we are connected by many historical facts in the Church and sociopolitical aspects. St. Ladislaus, the first Hungarian-Croatian king, established the Zagreb Diocese and our Churches record a long period of shared history. Cardinal Bozanić also greeted the other bishops and archbishops, Mayor Milan Bandić of Zagreb, and all the people of Zagreb and pilgrims.
Cardinal Erdö began the celebration of the Mass in the Croatian language. At the beginning of his homily, he thanked Cardinal Bozanić for being invited to celebrate this feast together with the faithful and to pray together for the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin for all the city. “I am also bringing with me the heartfelt greetings of Hungarian Catholics who honor Our Lady as our patron. We are children of the same Mother, and in a particular way we Hungarians and Croatians, two close nations, are joined by a common history and our Christian values,” said Cardinal Erdö in the Croatian language. Then the rest of the cardinal’s homily was read aloud in the Croatian language by the general secretary of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Msgr. Vjekoslav Huzjak. In the homily, the president of the CCEE pointed out that God’s mercy is powerful, capable of transforming the lives of all people. The 20th century was a century of great development, extensive recognition of freedoms and human rights in some parts of the world, a century that for a large number of nations brought great freedom and even sovereignty, as well as many democratic values. This progress, in some aspects, is also present in the development of the community of nations in Europe. When the 1957 Treaty of Rome began the reality that we today call the European Union, a large number of Christians were engaged in this work, which, from the very beginning, provided and continues to provide a framework for peaceful coexistence or, moreover, reconciliation among nations. In this sense, we here in Central Eastern Europe have the opportunity, granted to us by Divine Providence, to view other nations with fraternal sympathy and purify our memories, as was said by the Servant of God Pope John Paul II. We Catholics have the opportunity to provide testimony for this reconciliation that can also become a creative force on the level of the society, said Cardinal Erdö, and recalled that the history of the 20th century is also a bloody history. The cruelest wars, the most terrible genocides, the most horrific injustices and discrimination characterize the last century. In recent times, at least in the western world, distressing signs of weakness in intellectual thought and signs of difficulties in making vital decisions, such as the choice of profession, religious callings, marriage etc. are evident. Traces of relativism are also present that threaten to deprive freedom of its positive content and turn it into a mere formal principle. Such freedom, without conviction and adherence to the truth and objective values, despite all the possible and transient pleasures of this life, often ultimately leads to disappointment, bitterness and desperation. In the difficult years of the Second World War and communist persecution, great individual Church leaders of our regions provided encouraging teachings for the whole nation, moreover for the Universal Church. In this context, Cardinal Erdö spoke of the Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, the archbishop of this city, who fought for the rights of the persecuted and victims of discrimination during the war, arousing the fury of the Nazis. After the war, despite attempts to distance him from the Vatican, he always remained faithful to the Catholic Church and the Successor of Peter. Therefore, he suffered imprisonment and was isolated for many years. Finally, severely ill due to the suffering that he had endured in captivity, he was poisoned. The fearless Confessor of the Faith sealed his testimony with his martyrdom. “I recently saw a photograph that shows him before the communist court in the year 1946. From his solemn face, open and calm eyes, and erect bearing, it is possible to read his readiness to remain faithful all the way unto death,” emphasized Cardinal Erdö and pointed out the powerful similarity between this photograph and a photograph of Cardinal Jòzsef Mindszenty that was taken two years later at a court in Budapest. Cardinal Mindszenty, somewhat older than his Croatian counterpart, sits equally erect. With his deep eyes and penetrating gaze, he reaches all the way to the hearts of those who see him, even in our times. Pope Pius XII addressed Cardinals Jòzsef Mindszenty, Alojzije Stepinac and Stefan Wyszynski and all the bishops, clergy and laity of the countries of Central Eastern Europe in his famous apostolic letter that begins with the words “Dum maerenti animo,” dated June 29, 1956, on the occasion of the five hundredth anniversary of the papal bull sent by Pope Callixtus III to the nations of Eastern Europe. The three great bishops, mentioned in the apostolic letter were exceptional witnesses to the faith. Their qualities, testimony and spiritual heritage link the people of our countries and create a great source of fraternal ties among Catholics. As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the beatification of the Blessed Cardinal Stepinac this year, we pray for his intercession for us, the bishops and priests of our countries, so that we can serve Christ, his Church and all people in patient and joyful certainty of the evangelical truth of open hearts and hearts ready to forgive. We pray for his intercession for the Croatian and Hungarian nations, in order to for them be nourished by Christ’s vitality and find the correct path of Christian life in our complex world,” emphasized Cardinal Erdö.
Referring to the Feast of Our Lady of the Stone Gates, Cardinal Erdö pointed out that our nations and cities consider the Virgin Mary to be their mother and protectress. This is justified because a mother can have many sons. These sons are true brothers. Therefore, concluding the homily in the Croatian language, the cardinal commended everyone to the intercession and maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of the city of Zagreb and the patron saint of Croatia, Our Lady of Hungary (Magna Domina Hungarorum) and the Mother of all of Europe, to protect our nations and our continent and to grant us new vitality for this new century.
After the Mass, a procession of the faithful, led by the cardinals and bishops behind the portrait of Our Lady of the Stone Gates, went from the cathedral to the Stone Gates, where the portrait was returned to its shrine. Mayor Milan Bandić of Zagreb lit a votive candle.
Cardinal Erdö recited a prayer in Hungarian and Cardinal Josip Bozanić recited a prayer dedicated to Our Lady of the Stone Gates that is said every year on this feast day in this place. Cardinal Bozanić once again thanked Cardinal Erdö for responding to his invitation. He also thanked and recognized the young persons whose presence at this event has been increasing from year to year.