Zagreb, (IKA) – In the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Stephen of Hungary, on the Seventh Sunday of Easter, June 5, there was a celebration of the Second Vespers led by Pope Benedict XVI together with the Croatian bishops, priests and religious.
The Holy Father was welcomed at the cathedral by assembled bishops, priests, religious, nuns, seminarians, theology students and religious candidates from the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Upon arriving at the front entrance to the cathedral, the Pope was greeted by the canons and prebendaries of the Cathedral Chapter of Zagreb. At the entrance, two canons and Auxiliary Bishops Msgr. Mijo Gorski and Msgr. Ivan Šaško of Zagreb brought the Holy Father blessed water, with which he made the sign of the cross, and a crucifix, which he venerated with a kiss. The Holy Father remained in silent prayer on the kneeler before the sanctuary. At the beginning of Vespers, he was greeted by the Archbishop and Metropolitan of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić.

Greetings to the Pope from Cardinal Josip Bozanić in the Zagreb Cathedral before the Celebration of the Second Vespers

Zagreb, (IKA) – “After today’s Eucharistic celebration, which embraced us with its mystery in unity, we have come to this mother church of the Archdiocese of Zagreb, where the past, present and future of the Croatian nation, the beauty of culture and the testimony of faith are connected in a special way,” said the Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, as he greeted the Holy Father in the Zagreb cathedral prior to the Second Vespers on June 5.
“Holy Father, in the fullness of my soul I greet you on behalf of the bishops, presbyters and deacons, religious, theology students and seminarians and religious candidates who adorn this cathedral with their presence. I also greet you in the name of those who were unable to be with us tonight but enrich this community with prayer and share with us the experience of the mystery of calling. Now we are gathered together to celebrate the Vespers of the Church.”
Cardinal Bozanić recalled the previous meeting of the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger with the faithful in the Zagreb cathedral on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the death of Cardinal Franjo Šeper, his predecessor in the office of the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “His mortal remains, like those of his predecessor in the office of Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Franjo Kuharić, together with those of other pastors of this Church, await the day of resurrection in this cathedral. In faith, we know that they are with us tonight and that together with us they rejoice that you have come to pray at the tomb of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac.”
Cardinal Bozanić thanked the Holy Father for the “gift of the Year of the Priest, which in our Church was rich in content and gathered an impressive number of our Croatian priests in this cathedral in April of last year.” In this spirit, he then congratulated the Pope on the sixtieth anniversary of his priestly ordination, stressing that human speech is too weak for him to express “everything borne within this community this evening. Therefore, we entrust our thoughts and emotions to prayer; our intentions to God and the intercession of the Heavenly Mother, as well as the intercession of the Blessed Alojzije, for whose proclamation of sainthood we pray constantly, eagerly awaiting the day of his canonization,” said the Cardinal.
At the conclusion of Cardinal Bozanić’s greetings, he presented the Pope with a gift from the Archdiocese of Zagreb, a replica of the icon of Our Lady of the Stone Gates, copied from the original by Boris Grković. The Pope then presented Cardinal Bozanić with a chalice.