Zagreb, February 12, 2003 (IKA) — On feast of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, February 10, Archbishop Josip Bozanic of Zagreb celebrated a Mass in the overflowing Zagreb Cathedral, where the earthly remains of the Blessed Alojzije have been laid to rest. The archbishop pointed out that the life of the Blessed Alojzije, as witnessed by Pope John Paul II, “summarizes the entire tragedy that afflicted Europe during the twentieth century, marked by the great evils of fascism, nazism and communism,” and that Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac embodied those values upon which we as Christians and Catholics are called to build a new Europe.
The Mass was concelebrated by the apostolic nuncio in Croatia, Archbishop Giulio Einaudi, Military Ordinary Juraj Jezerinac, Auxiliary Bishops Josip Mrzljak and Vlado Kosic, and over a hundred priests. Archbishop Bozanic noted that the Blessed Alojzije exhibited human, pastoral and evangelical openness in his struggle against the conflicts and disunity among the people. He was a defender of the fundamental values of mankind and society, and could not be swayed by the disorientation and spread of intentional obfuscation that pushed God from the center of human events. He encouraged the Catholic faithful to participate in political issues, so that Christ’s joyful news would live in the hearts of the people, bringing them comfort and guidance for eternal life, said Archbishop Bozanic.

According to Archbishop Bozanic, the Blessed Alojzije demonstrated the openness of the Gospels for all people through his life and work, but also sought unity among his own people according to the Gospels. He addressed the Croatian nation with sincerity and warmth, desiring unity among brothers and sisters in the same faith but not to the exclusion others. He believed in Christ as the Truth, Way and Life, and therefore raised his voice in protest against any political excess, against conflicts and polarization, because he knew they lead not only to the ruin of believers but nations. He knew he would be forced to serve as a lightning rod for attacks from the left and right. For him, the Church was a meeting place of unity, a place where no one owned the Truth but served it; a place where every person bowed to God alone. Such an attitude creates the most profound of bonds, ending pernicious disputes arising from the special interests of individuals and groups. The Church as the meeting place of a community within a culture of conflict was Stepinac’s heritage, said Archbishop Bozanic, noting that the Church in Croatia also wants to be this today, because the Croatian people are tired of division, although he conceded that Croatian division seems agreeable to some. We are called to be a place for the promotion of unity and peace, for the creation of an environment conducive to a life of dignity for each person, said the archbishop of Zagreb. However, he also noted that in our desire to improve relations in a civilized manner and at a legal level, we Catholics were accused of occupying a privileged position in our country, although as the majority we merely attempted to open new paths for the democratic and legal recognition of all the Churches and religions in our society immediately following the communist period. Today, these accusations are practically nonexistent; they have become nonsensical, concluded Archbishop Bozanic, adding that we have the right to state that we Catholics, as the majority in this country, have steadfastly worked toward this goal and today we thank God for all the agreements that have been achieved. We merely wish to live in our country under the same freedom that we seek for others, and therefore we should not be falsely accused of being an intolerant majority. The Church today also urges all responsible persons in our country to reach a clear and indisputable consensus regarding the fundamental values and goals of the Croatian nation, country and society. There are values to live and die for, with which there can be no trade-off, and which cannot be called into question. Perhaps our desire to serve and our offer of the Church as a place of unity are disturbing to some, when the influence of the Catholic Church in Croatia is alleged to be excessive, said the archbishop, adding that some are displeased that we seek unity, peace, forgiveness and sacrifice; that we preach honesty, justice and dignity for all; and that we point to the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus as the path to the genuine fulfillment of human life; or perhaps the excessive impact of the Church that protects the family, the young and raises its voice against the evils of drugs and other addictions, urging all responsible bodies not to ignore the bitter problems that the Blessed Alojzije perceived with equal clarity.

Speaking about the importance of the family, the archbishop recalled the Pope’s statement that the family is the heritage of humankind, it is a great and very precious good, a necessity for the life, development and future of a nation. This, said the archbishop, is an invitation to all, including politically responsible persons, to defend the institution of the family and respect the attitudes of the faithful when decisions about the family are being made. It is not clear how the largest legislative body in a country where the great majority of its citizens declare themselves to be Catholics can issue laws that are not in keeping with the Catholic faith. Although it can be asked to what extent someone shares the positions of the Church, even if he professes himself to be a Catholic, it is also legitimate to ask whom the representatives are representing and what is their religious profile. This is also an appeal for Catholics to be more active in society and express their positions clearly, explained the archbishop. He noted that this was in reference to the issuing guidelines to Catholics on questions concerning the engagement and behavior of Catholics in political life, as proclaimed recently by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which emphasizes that there are ethical principles that cannot be traded-off. In this document, among other things, Catholics in politics are urged to defend the family based upon a monogamous marriage between two persons of opposite sexes, which must be protected in its unity and existence. Such a family cannot be equated with other forms of communal living.
According to the archbishop, a certain sense of relativism also contributes to a parallelism in the lives of politicians who are believers, most often with the excuse that religion is “a private matter.” Religion is a private matter but it always has public consequences! For a believer, it is not possible to divide the spiritual life from secular life, to build one life with spiritual demands and values and another that is expressed in the family, work, social relations and cultural activities, concluded the archbishop of Zagreb.

Speaking about the Catholic Church as a part of the European heritage, the archbishop said that Christianity is intrinsic to the roots of European culture and civilization, and therefore Christianity remains a recognizable European attribute. He pointed out that it is wrong, even in Croatia, to represent Christianity as something that does not belong to contemporary Europe, particularly by those who support a so-called progressivism without God and those who have only discovered European unity in recent years.

In the sermon, the archbishop also spoke about the Second Synod of the Zagreb Archdiocese, noting that preparations began last autumn. On this occasion, the archbishop invited all the faithful and every person of good intention to contribute to this renewal of the Archdiocese. We want every believer to be able to make contributions, proposals and criticisms, so that the voice of everyone can be heard who desires the good of the Zagreb Church and who believes that he or she can contribute to its growth, said the archbishop.