Zagreb (IKA) — On April 17, as a sign of gratitude to Pope John Paul II for all that he has done and as an expression of personal respect for the Holy Father, Domagoj Pejić, journalist of Croatian Catholic Radio, will set out on foot from the Zagreb Cathedral to Rome, where he will participate in the general audience on May 19 and personally congratulate the Pope on his 84th birthday, after walking approximately 1,000 kilometers. At a press conference held on April 7 in Zagreb, Domagoj Pejić spoke about his motives for this undertaking, emphasizing that the Pope is especially close to his heart and that during the Croatian pilgrimage of gratitude to Rome in November of last year, he felt the desire to meet the Pope one more time. On the feast of the Croatian martyr the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, February 10 of this year, the idea and desire crystallized that he would set out for Rome on foot and offer all the burdens, suffering, pain, blisters and prayer during the trip for the Holy Father, in order, as he said, to remove some wrinkles from his face. In addition to congratulating the Pope personally on his birthday, Pejić will also deliver birthday greetings and letters to the Holy Father from the faithful of Croatia. These letters will thank the Pope for all that he has done, especially for his three unforgettable apostolic visits to Croatia.