Šibenik (IKA) – Pope John Paul II, “Our Pope,” as all our faithful like to call him, was a great and beloved pope. Our Pope knew how to love and therefore was loved and that is why he was great. I believe that he shall remain thus in our hearts, in the memory of our nation, in the history of the Church and the whole world, for all future times, emphasized the bishop of Šibenik, Ante Ivas, in a message on the occasion of the death of the Holy Father.
He was great because he always entered all the great issues and challenges in the Life of the Church, humanity and throughout the world with Christ’s courage, gentleness and decisiveness, regardless of whether someone liked it or not, whether he would be praised or opposed, emphasized Bishop Ivas.

Pope John Paul II was a great pope of the Council, a new face of the Church, new evangelization. He was a pope of life, the culture of life amidst the culture of death that has increasingly imposed itself as a general lifestyle. He is a pope of human life. He is a pope of the all-embracing dignity of the human person from conception to natural death, emphasized bishop Ivas, who particularly noted that John Paul II was a pope of all nations and authentic national values. He invested his whole life in active service, the struggle for the identity and genuine freedom of nations, especially the small and endangered nations of the world.

The great Pope John Paul II was a pope of sincere dialogue, for which there is no alternative, dialogue among people, nations, cultures and religions. He was a great pope of repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. The Croatian nation, for many reasons and with great pride, considers the Pope to be their great father and friend. He demonstrated this with his great involvement in the independence and international recognition of our country, stated the bishop of Šibenik.

“Above all, in a unique manner the Pope was a great pope of the young, a pope of youth, a pope of youthful hope and enthusiasm. With the young, he established miraculous, lively and genuine communication. The Pope and young people simply understood and loved each other. Perhaps it is better to say that they loved each other and therefore understood each other. He did not attempt to curry their favor. Moreover, he demanded that they choose genuine and not ostensible values, genuine truths and not half truths or perhaps false truths.”

Pope John Paul II believed, loved and served God in people and the Church in the manner of Mary. I can personally testify from numerous meetings with him, both personal and together with our episcopate, that I bear a special sense of enrichment from his personal and surpassing love, which he radiated in a truly miraculous way.
Due to all of this and much more that each of us bears and I believe will long bear, I believe that in the name of all the faithful of our diocese I can say: “Holy Father, we were and remain proud of you, of Christ’s and Mary’s work in you among us!” And we salute you as you always greeted us in the Croatian language in your way: “Praise be to Jesus and Mary,” concluded Bishop Ivas.