Zagreb (IKA) – The president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Archbishop Josip Cardinal Bozanić, in response to the news of the death of Pope John Paul II, issued the following statement to our agency, that we present in its entirety:

“The news has just come to us from the Vatican that the heavenly Father has called John Paul II to his eternal communion. This news has both shaken us and more profoundly revealed the mystery of the person. We deeply believe that Jesus Christ has now brought his vicar on earth, who had proclaimed Him with so much love, to the house of His Father. At this moment, in our hearts there are deep feelings of gratitude for the gift of Pope John Paul II. This gratitude is especially felt by the Catholic Church in Croatia and the entire Croatian nation. We pray to the Lord of Life and Death for the repose of the soul of our beloved Pope.”