Rijeka (IKA) – On the occasion of the death of Pope John Paul II, the archbishop and metropolitan of Rijeka, Ivan Devčić, issued a public statement in which he pointed out that the Pope will leave a great body of his life’s work that cannot be entirely assessed at this moment. The passage of time will make it possible to appreciate with greater precision how great an impact John Paul II has made upon the world and his influence on social and historical events. He worked tirelessly to promote peace in the world, social justice, solidarity, a policy of evangelization and the appreciation of the importance of the family. With his whole heart, he supported a united Europe, i.e. a whole Europe in which the barriers between East and West would disappear.

In many years of fruitful work, he showed that he genuinely understood and experienced all the suffering of the person. He had the opportunity to become acquainted with a variety of people under various circumstances, from workers in stone quarries to athletes and scientists.
John Paul II is certainly one of the greatest popes in the history of the Catholic Church. We can be proud that such a Pope came from the Polish nation, with which we have much in common. It is actually from the faith of this nation that the Holy Father drew his own faith and he was a profound believer, stated the archbishop, noting that Croats felt particularly close to the Pope.
We know how much he did for us when it was the most difficult for us, but also even before the creation of the independent state of Croatia. He came to us in 1994, at a moment when many did not dare to do so but instead gave us lectures from afar. On his first visit to us, he came to support and encourage us in the creation of the state but also to urge us to forgive, according to Christ’s example. On his second visit in 1998, he came as a confirmation of the faith of the Croatian nation and brought the proclamation of the beatification of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, whom the Holy Father considered to be a particular model.

The people of our region are especially proud of the Pope’s third visit to Croatia and his visit to Rijeka. The Pope came to Croatia the third time with a message oriented toward the future. He urged us to open and draw closer to the European Union but also called upon Europe to accept us.
A second powerful message uttered at the historical Mass on the Delta was concern for the family. This was expressed by the motto of the Pope’s third visit “The Family – The Path of the Church and Nation.” During his pontificate, he proclaimed two Croatian saints, St. Marcus Stephanus Crisinus [sv. Marko Križevčanin] and St. Leopold Mandić, as well as three beati, noted the archbishop.

Many now ask who will follow such a pope and how. It is important to state that we need not fear what will happen in the Vatican or what the next pope will be like. We believe that the Holy Spirit, who leads the Church, shall inspire those who will chose the new head of the Catholic Church, in order to find the right successor for John Paul II, concluded the archbishop of Rijeka.