The central Mass of the Croatian National Pilgrimage to Rome was celebrated in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Tuesday afternoon, bringing together thousands of faithful from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatian communities from around the world.

Half an hour before the beginning of Mass, at 5:30 p.m., Croatian pilgrims were greeted by Pope Leo XIV, who expressed his gratitude for their fidelity to the Church and to the Successors of Peter. The Pope encouraged Croatian families to pass on the faith to new generations, emphasizing that “faith grows and becomes stronger when it is shared,” and called on the pilgrims to continue to be “a leaven of peace, goodness and hope in a world wounded by violence and wars.” At the end of his address, he imparted the Apostolic Blessing and entrusted the Croatian people to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Most Faithful Advocate of Croatia.

The Mass that followed was presided over by the President of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop of Zagreb Dražen Kutleša. In his homily, Archbishop Kutleša noted that the Croatian National Pilgrimage is taking place in a year marking the 1100th anniversary of the establishment of the Croatian Kingdom and of the Church Councils of Split, events that shaped the ecclesial and national history of the Croatian people.

The central theme of the homily was threefold fidelity – fidelity to Christ, to the See of Peter, and to Mary – which Archbishop Kutleša described as the enduring spiritual program of the Croatian people.

“If Christ remains at the center of our people, then Croatia will not be merely a country of a glorious past, but also of a bright future,” the Archbishop said, emphasizing that fidelity to Christ entails personal and social responsibility for bearing witness to the Gospel.

Speaking about fidelity to the See of Peter, the Archbishop recalled the historical ties between the Croatian people and Rome, from Duke Branimir and King Tomislav to Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac. “Stepinac is a contemporary martyr of fidelity, and his martyrdom is the seal of Croatian devotion to the See of Peter,” he said.

In the third part of his homily, the Archbishop reflected on fidelity to the Blessed Virgin Mary, “Mother of the Croatian People and Queen of the Croats,” who, he said, has remained a constant companion of the Croatian people throughout history.

“Here, above the tomb of St. Peter, we make our solemn promise to remain worthy of the name of our forefathers – faithful to Christ, preserving communion with the Apostolic See and devotion to our heavenly Mother,” Archbishop Kutleša concluded.

The solemn celebration concluded with a communal prayer and blessing for the Croatian people. In the spirit of the Jubilee and with gratitude, the Croatian pilgrims reaffirmed their fidelity to Christ, the Church, and the Successor of St. Peter.