Zagreb, (IKA) – The secretary of state of the Holy See, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, celebrated Mass on the morning of Saturday, September 20, at the Chapel of the Heart of Jesus in the Theological Seminary in Zagreb, together with Cardinal Josip Bozanić, the apostolic nuncio in the Republic of Croatia, Archbishop Mario Roberto Cassari; Auxiliary Bishops Vlado Košić, Valentin Pozaić and Ivan Šaško of Zagreb; and the faculty of the Theological Seminary. The Mass was attended by the seminarians who live in the seminary. This year there are 110 seminarians at the seminary from the Zagreb Archdiocese, Varaždin Diocese, Požega Diocese and two from the Porto Novo Diocese in Benin.
In the homily, the secretary of state of the Holy See conveyed greetings from Pope Benedict XVI. “When I spoke with him about this trip, he asked me, actually, to express to you who comprise this seminarian community, the superiors and seminarians, his paternal love and desire that those who are preparing themselves here will become holy priests, ready to confront numerous contemporary religious and social challenges.” He also recalled the great figures who spent the period of their priestly formation in the Zagreb seminary, such as Cardinals Franjo Šeper and Franjo Kuharić, and the Servant of God Josip Lang, who for many years was also an esteemed spiritual advisor and wise rector at the seminary. “The Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Viktor Stepinac always followed the life of the seminary with paternal attention, assuring that the formation of seminarians would be both doctrinal and spiritual. Therefore, we fervently thank God for your seminary, which was and continues to be a field on which the good seed of numerous priestly callings is cultivated, and does not cease to yield a good harvest for the benefit of the entire Church community,” added Cardinal Bertone.
Cardinal Bertone also toured part of the Theological Seminary and the Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute.