Zagreb, March 23, 1999 (IKA) – Priests#! Day of the Zagreb Archdiocese was held on March 22 in Zagreb. An opening lecture entitled “The Zagreb Church in Anticipation of the Great Jubilee” was presented by Archbishop Josip Bozanić. At the beginning of this presentation, Archbishop Bozanić noted that such meetings provide occasions for encounters and dialogue among all the clergy in the diocese regarding matters affecting their lives and existence. He also mentioned the recent visit by the Croatian bishops ad limina apostolorum to the Vatican. Speaking about the purposes of the Great Jubilee, Archbishop Bozanić pointed out that Pope John Paul II clearly wants to see the past through the eyes of faith so that he can look clearly ahead toward the present and future. The archbishop listed four directives for progress toward the Great Jubilee which issue from documents by the Holy Father entitled Tertio millennio adveniente and Incarnationis Mysterium: the renewal of fidelity to the Second Vatican Council, new evangelization, openness toward ecumenicism and the promotion of Catholic social science. Speaking about new evangelization, the archbishop urged the priests to assemble lay catechism instructors on the parish and deanery levels, because “it is necessary to support this community and be concerned about their spiritual formation.” He also mentioned the movements and associations of religious laity as a new manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Regarding the promotion of social science, the archbishop noted that priests must be sensitive to the social conditions of their faithful, which “are not easy, particularly where a job is lost or where the earned salary is not received at the end of the month … The Church is preparing for a new period of grace and mission,” said the archbishop, urging priests to be engaged in the spiritual renewal of parishes, spiritual exercises, seminars, missions and prayer meetings. He also gave the priests of the Zagreb archdiocese several directives concerning preparations for the Great Jubilee.
After Archbishop Bozanić#!s presentation, Auxiliary Bishop Josip Mrzljak of Zagreb spoke about the priests#! priority spiritual-pastoral tasks. Prelate Vladimir Stanković, general vicar of the Zagreb Archdiocese, spoke about the archdiocesan ecclesiastical court and other central institutions in the service of pastoral activity.
The gathering of priests continued with a presentation by Archbishop Bozanić on the tasks set before the Zagreb Archdiocese by the fourth contract on economic questions between the Republic of Croatia and the Holy See, and a discussion on the return of confiscated Church property.