Vatican (IKA) – On the morning of Saturday, April 2, the apostolic breve on the beatification of the Blessed Ivan Merz was presented to the postulator, Fr. Božidar Nagy. This is the official pontifical document that signifies and confirms that Pope John Paul II completed the process of the beatification of the Blessed Ivan Merz in Banja Luka. This was also the last administrative act concluding a procedure that lasted many years for the beatification of the first layman of the Church among the Croats, Ivan Merz. The apostolic breve, as it is called officially, is written in the Latin language but the words of the formula of beatification within the document are presented in the original, i.e. in the Croatian language, as they were uttered by the Holy Father at the beatification in Banja Luka. The six-page document is written in caligraphy on parchment.

The document presents a brief summary of the holiness of the beatus and begins with the Blessed Ivan Merz’s famous statement: “Fides catholica mea est in vita vocatio – The Catholic faith is my life’s vocation.” The document states that this sentence briefly summarizes the entire spiritual life of the Blessed Ivan. The document bears the date of the beatification in Banja Luka, June 22, 2003, and by Pontifical decree is signed by the secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano. In addition to the signature of Cardinal Sodano is the Pope’s seal.

It happened that this document was submitted to the Church among the Croats during the morning hours of the last day of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, who in the evening of the same day completed the course of his earthly life and went to blessed eternity. The content of the document can be understood as the Pope’s last message to the Croatian faithful, observes Postulator Nagy.