Zagreb, September 30, 1997 (IKA) — The President of the Republic of Croatia, Dr. Franjo Tuđman, held a formal dinner for Cardinal Franjo Kuharić; the apostolic nuncio in the Republic of Croatia, Archbishop Giulio Einaudi; the newly appointed archbishop of Zagreb, Josip Bozanić; the bishop of Vara din, Marko Culej; the bishop of Požega, Antun Škvorčević, and the military ordinary, Juraj Jezerinac, on Monday evening, September 29. The many distinguished personages from political life included the vice president of the Government and the head of the Government Commission for Relations with Religious Communities, Jure Radić; and the president of the Parliament [Sabor], Vlatko Pavletić. Addressing the bishops present, President Tuđman began by thanking the retiring archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Franjo Kuharić, as follows:
“Because of everything that you have given the Croatian nation and its people in over fifty years of service to God and the Church, here in the heart and capital city of all Croats, our beloved and ancient Zagreb, #!in convenient and inconvenient times,#! as St. Paul, the apostle of the people, would say, it is with a heavy heart that we salute you as you enter your well-earned retirement from the noble and great duties of the first man of the Church among the Croats. Thank you for all that you have been and done during those difficult communist times for our Church, particularly in the days of the establishment of the independent and democratic state of Croatia, and also during the war years and postwar years. In Croatian history, your name will certainly be inscribed in bold letters for all your humanity and constancy, wisdom and openness, impartiality and effectiveness, especially for your great contribution in the difficult and painful resurrection of Croatia, its freedom and sovereignty. Your Eminence, dear Cardinal Kuharić, may the dear Lord reward you for all this!.” In a toast to the newly appointed archbishop of Zagreb, Josip Bozanić, President Tuđman#!s remarks included the following: “Wishing you every good and great success in your noble undertaking of these new and responsible duties, to your satisfaction and to that of God, I express confidence that all of us — our Zagreb, the capital city of all Croats, the celebrated Zagreb Archdiocese, the faithful and all people of good will — shall receive you with an open heart and outstretched arms. In the name of the Croatian Government, I assure you that you shall enjoy complete freedom of activity as well as the confidence and support of all those responsible, including myself personally as the national leader.” President Tuđman also congratulated Bishop Jezerinac for his appointment as the military vicar, emphasizing that priestly service in the military is of great importance, firstly for the moral education of young people and also for instilling high Christian moral principles in civil life. President Tuđman also congratulated the bishops of the two newly established dioceses of Varaždin and Požega, Marko Culej and Antun Škvorčević, on their ordination. He expressed the wish for the new dioceses to flourish in a full new life, based upon the rich and ancient traditions of the Zagreb Archdiocese.
Cardinal Kuharić, thanking President Tuđman on his own behalf and on the behalf of the bishop of Varaždin, the bishop of Požega and the military vicar, said that the occasion of the evening#!s meeting was his farewell and the arrival of his successor. “In 52 years of priesthood and 25 years of service as archbishop, I have followed the principles that are necessary in order to respect every person and maintain honorable relations. We have supported the Croatian nation as a collective person, inviolable in its rights, We wanted the Croatian nation to obtain independence, have dominion over its goods and live in freedom. However, war was waged against these freedoms and rights. The right to life in one#!s own country is the right of every nation, even the smallest, in order to preserve its history, culture and identity. The creation of the independent Croatian state is a great event approved by the entire Croatian nation, Church and all people of good will,” emphasized Cardinal Kuharić. The cardinal mentioned that the Church had also fulfilled its calling under the previous system, during the time of war and now in a time of peace, adding: “Freedom was limited but now free activity has been made possible. All the spheres of social activity have been opened for spreading God#!s words. We must live responsibly in freedom. Freedom signifies respect for each person. In this, the Church has its mission.” The newly named archbishop of Zagreb, Josip Bozanić, in his first official address in this capacity, emphasized that the Church is aware of the expectations of many people of good will, and calls upon all well-intentioned individuals to coordinate their positions patiently and democratically, for the fulfillment of agreed tasks, noting that this would be the best response to pressures coming from outside. Archbishop Bozanić also referred to the recently signed concordats with the Holy See. “I am satisfied that the efforts of the responsible persons in the Croatian Conference of Bishops and the Croatian state have established the foundations for a new, contemporary relation between the Catholic Church in Croatia and the Republic of Croatia by the ratification of three concordats between the Republic of Croatia and the Holy See. We should like the signing of the fourth concordat to occur soon, as this would round off the undertaken tasks and establish the necessary conditions for the work and service of the Catholic Church on the threshold of the third millennium, especially for its mission in the educational, charitable and social areas,” emphasized the new archbishop of Zagreb.