Zagreb, October 4, 1997 (IKA) — “My dear successor! With God#!s grace, #!you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ, reared in the words of faith and the sound doctrine you have faithfully followed.#! I entrust to you the Zagreb Archdiocese that has been territorially reduced by the establishment of the new dioceses of Požega and Varaždin, for which I wish God#!s blessing. I entrust to your heart and conscience the priests, monks, nuns and all the faithful of the Zagreb Church. Be for them, like Jesus#! apostle, a teacher and administrator of the mysteries of God, leading them on God#!s path because #!all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.#! Blessed are you who come in the name of the Lord!” In these words, the retiring archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Franjo Kuharić, greeted his successor, Josip Bozanić, as he began his service as the new archbishop of the Zagreb Church.
Present at the Eucharistic celebration, that began with a procession at 10 a.m., were nearly all the bishops and archbishops of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Archbishop Cardinal Vinko Puljić of Sarajevo; the apostolic nuncio in the Republic of Croatia, Archbishop Giulio Einaudi; representatives and members of the bishops#! conferences of neighboring countries, superiors and members of religious orders who are active in the territory of the Zagreb Archdiocese, numerous canons and priests, and a multitude of faithful laity. Also present at the Eucharist were representatives of the political, cultural and public life of the city of Zagreb and the Republic of Croatia. Before Cardinal Kuharić handed over the bishop#!s staff to his successor, he spoke about his leadership of the Zagreb Archdiocese:
“I humbly and contritely thank merciful God for all the graces, protection and help he has bestowed upon me during the performance of my duties as a priest, bishop and archbishop in the Zagreb Archdiocese. We could have done nothing good in such a responsible mission without divine grace! If I have succeeded in doing something good, besides the merciful Lord, I also thank my many faithful and self-sacrificing associates in our Church: bishops, priests, monks, nuns and the dear faithful. With your help, prayer and support, it was possible to persevere under the trials and difficulties I encountered in hard times that were unfavorable for the proclamation of the Gospels!” Cardinal Kuharić then summarized his twenty-seven years of administering the archdiocese, mentioning that he had assumed office during a time that was unfavorable to the Church, when thousands of Croatian Catholics, due to the difficult situation in the homeland, were scattered among all the continents, seeking a better life. This was the time of the establishment of the Croatian foreign missions, headed by Msgr. Vladimir Stanković, who was in charge of the faithful, priests and members of religious orders in foreign countries, gathering them around the Church. The Cardinal mentioned the national Marian Congress of 1971, the celebration of Thirteen Centuries of Christianity Among the Croats in 1976, the National Eucharistic Congress in 1984, and the visit by Pope John Paul II to Croatia in 1994.
Retrospection by Cardinal Kuharić on His Service as Archbishop
The retiring archbishop of Zagreb spoke about the years of the Counciliar renewal, as follows:
“At the very beginning of my service as a bishop, as an auxiliary bishop in Zagreb, I had the opportunity to participate in the work of the final sessions of the Second Vatican Council. All the years of my service as archbishop are imbued with the spirit of this Council, with efforts to implement the renewal to which the Holy Spirit, through this Council, spurred the entire Church. Together with all the Croatian bishops, I bore the responsibility for implementing the decisions and directives of this Council under the particularly difficult conditions of a regime that was unfavorable for the Church and religion. In community with all the priests and the faithful of the Zagreb Archdiocese, we directly implemented specific liturgical renewal and modernized Church legislation. We continued this never ending task under the new conditions of national independence and the building of a democratic society. The entire period of my service as bishop and archbishop has been marked from the beginning by the renewal of the Catholic press, and most recently Catholic radio — mass media in the service of the proclamation and testimony of faith. It was a difficult task to be responsible for collaboration between our Church shepherds and the busy staffs of Catholic editors. As a young bishop, for a time I performed the duties of an editor-in-chief, during which I experienced direct pressures and threats from the authorities.”
The Church in Defense of Justice and Human Dignity
Cardinal Kuharić spoke about the establishment of the independent Croatian state, reiterating his principle that all nations, even the smallest, have the right to exist in freedom in their own state.
“We must be just when we evaluate the past, just in building the present. It is necessary to build the future upon just foundations, #!for by righteousness the throne endures#! (Proverbs 16, 12).
“However, the inspiration of justice must be love. I learned this in the school of the Second Vatican Council. I found an example of this in the former archbishop of Zagreb, Alojzije Stepinac. I considered this an obligation of conscience and obedience to the word of God.
“In following this principle through the period of my service as archbishop, I considered it my duty, during the great tests for the Church, to defend the innocence and honor of Archbishop Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac. In defending him, I was defending the fundamental right of every person to a just trial; I was defending all human and national rights. There were so many people who were deprived of their rights to declare their faith publicly, who were unjustly accused and condemned and thereby deprived of their rights to freedom and a life of dignity. #!Messages from the grave of Stepinac#! had this meaning.
“The principles of truth, justice and freedom also guided my words and deeds during the period of the recent war that was waged against Croatia. It was a war against the millennial rights of the Croatian nation to exist in freedom and safety. We considered that the defense of one#!s own home and homeland, one#!s life and freedom was not only a right but a moral duty. However, we also interceded for the rights of every person, regardless of his religious, national or other affiliations. In defending the rights for a free Croatian nation, we also defended the rights of every human being,” stressed the retiring archbishop of Zagreb.
“Nevertheless, we always emphasize that Croatia must be a country blessed with safety, freedom and righteousness for all its citizens. The state has the right to demand that all its citizens respect and implement just laws and fulfill their duties toward the community. However, the state also must safeguard the rights of every citizen. The state must protect the dignity of the human being, the dignity of the family and the holiness of human life from conception in the mother#!s womb to the moment when God calls a person from temporal existence to eternity.
“At a time and in a situation when voices are again being raised against peace and the justified interests of our homeland, when the Church is being accused because it did not speak according to orders from the outside, we must reiterate that only just judgment builds a culture of law and veracity for evaluating the work of others,” said Cardinal Kuharić.
Cardinal Kuharić#!s Spiritual Legacy
At the end of his introductory remarks, the cardinal presented his spiritual legacy, contained in his collection of Lenten-Easter epistles that has just gone to press:
“I urge all to harmony, to sincere cooperation, to religious engagement for the Kingdom of God for all the faithful: young and grown, healthy and sick, learned and unlearned! I pray for forgiveness from one and all if I have committed injury to love and justice toward anyone. I sincerely forgive everyone before the Lord if they have in any way offended me or inflicted injustice upon me. To all benefactors who have done any kindness to me through prayer, gifts and cooperation, I thank them from my heart. I sincerely regret that I could not help everyone who sought assistance from me. I was always sorry that the possibilities for providing assistance were so limited. May they forgive me.
“#!The time of my departure is near!#! (2 Tim 4, 6), but you, dear Zagreb Archdiocese, are not leaving my heart and my prayers. I contritely pray for all of you and permanently entrust you, together with Archbishop Josip, to the Heart of the Most Holy Mother of God whom we justifiably call the #!Queen of the Croats#! because of her maternal help throughout our difficult history.”
Transfer of Office
Following Cardinal Kuharić#!s introductory remarks, the apostolic letter naming Msgr. Josip Bozanić, bishop of Krk, as the archbishop of Zagreb, was read aloud by Msgr. Ivan Došlin. The letter in which the Pope accepted the resignation of retiring Archbishop Cardinal Franjo Kuhariæ was read by Msgr. Josip Ladika. Then Cardinal Kuhariæ presented the bishop#!s staff to the new archbishop, Josip Bozanić, thus relinquishing to him the administration and authority over the archdiocese.
First Sermon by Archbishop Bozaniæ
After a reading from the Gospels according to John, Archbishop Josip Bozanić delivered his first sermon as the archbishop of Zagreb, beginning as follows:
“I greet you, Holy Church of Zagreb. I greet you, Church of God in Zagreb, honorable Church of the Zagreb Archdiocese, all of you who have been consecrated in Christ Jesus and called to be a holy people, and all who, wherever they may be, call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Archbishop Bozanić began his sermon by recalling important events and people from the nine centuries of the history of the Zagreb Archdiocese. Thanking all for words of support, prayers and congratulations, Archbishop Bozanić pointed out that “Pope John Paul II sent me today to be the religious leader of this Zagreb Church. I hereby accept the Pope#!s unexpected and surprising decision, that required me to change the milieu of my life and work, that required me to come to you, henceforth associating and binding my life with yours, solely and only in faith and submission to Divine providence that guides the course of history.”
Gratitude to Cardinal Kuhariæ
In his sermon, Archbishop Bozanić first thanked the retiring Archbishop Cardinal Franjo Kuharić. He called for cooperation among all believers, priests and members of religious orders.
“Your Eminence, our Cardinal, I thank you personally for you prayers. I know that you have long prayed for your successor. Today, you turned over the bishop#!s staff to me. This outward act signified the transfer of the pastoral office in the Zagreb Archdiocese from you to me. You ordained me as bishop, an apostolic successor, when you laid your hands upon me. In this honorable see of the Zagreb bishops and archbishops, I assume the 76th place, the place behind yours, and behind our predecessor and Counciliar father, Cardinal Franjo Šeper; and he behind the servant of God Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac — a witness to faith who spread the voice of our persecuted and martyred Church throughout the world — thus going back to the first shepherd of this ancient Church, Bishop Duh.”
Message to Priests and Members of Religious Orders
“This is a heritage that carries responsibilities and at this time has been placed in our hands; in the hands of the shepherd of this Church, his presbyters and God#!s entire nation. After the establishment of the dioceses of Požega and Varaždin, from today onward, the Zagreb Archdiocese continues its history within new boundaries,” stated Archbishop Bozanić. For the clergy, he had the following message:
“I expect mutual understanding, an ability to provide well-intentioned explanations for what each of us does, for us to know how to wait a little before passing judgments and for us to be ready to forgive each other. Only through acceptance and forgiveness can there be growth in the sacramental community we entered when we received the Holy Orders … The archbishop is here, together with you, to throw this net in simplicity and confidence. Here, I want to be close to you: to you, parish priest; to you, parish vicar; to you, chaplain, to you, teacher and professor. Today much is expected of a priest. Brother priests, many come to us with various offers. We want to remain free in order to devote ourselves completely to the work of Jesus. Christ the Lord calls us to be fishermen of souls. This task is never finished. This calling always requires the complete submission of our human freedom to evangelical freedom. This is the proclamation that opens the heart for the foretaste of heavenly joys.”
He then addressed words of encouragement to seminarians, divinity students, and members of men#!s and women#!s religious orders, making special reference to today#!s Feast of St. Francis of Assisi and Franciscan charism:
“The Croatian nation, especially at this time, needs Franciscan charism: bright hopes for the future. To you, dear brother and sister Franciscans, I say: harken to your original charism, be courageous for the new because you will gain a hundredfold.
“Our Croatian nation at this historical moment needs heralds of hope who will open paths toward the future. While the nation was in the situation of defending its fundamental rights and identity, it was necessary to place an increased emphasis upon history . Now, when development is opening, the nation needs well-intentioned and truth-loving critical abilities and prophetic direction toward the future.”
The Relation Between the Church and Politics
“Zagreb is the center of Croatia and the Croatian nation, not only politically and economically but also spiritually. It is a city of meeting, creating, making connections and exchanging experiences. From the archdiocesan see of our capital city, I greet all of you: people of culture, science and the mass media. We cannot deny that our Croatian culture is imbued with Christian humanism. These are the true roots and foundations for a healthy future. Today, Croatia needs thinkers and doers, people of new vision, people of spirit who will bring understanding, negotiations and peace to an excessively radicalized and tense public life.
“And you, people of politics, whether you are in power or aspiring to it, do not seek for the Church to become engaged in politics in terms of participation in authority. The Church#!s mission is of another nature. The Church, open to the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, seeks only freedom — in convenient and inconvenient times — to proclaim the Gospels with all the truths contained therein,” said the new archbishop. He also expressed the wish of the Church to be close to all who are suffering or in need, with particular attention to the parishes in the Zagreb Archdiocese that have been devastated by warfare.
Presentation of the Gifts
Representatives of various regions of the Zagreb Archdiocese, designated according to the individual municipal centers of Bjelovar, Karlovac, Križevci, Kutina and Sisak; and representatives of the city of Zagreb and the Marian shrine of Marija Bistrica presented special gifts. They presented medications for the Caritas pharmacy, monetary contributions for the Fund for the Promotion of the Clerical Calling, fruits of the earth, books and works of art, including a bust of St. Marko Križevčanin and a statue of St. Joseph, the patron saint of Croatia.
Greetings to the New Archbishop
At the end of the Mass, before the hymn Tebe Boga hvalimo [We Praise You, Lord], the new archbishop of Zagreb was greeted on behalf of the clergy by the parish priest in Sesvetski Kraljevac and the dean of the Vugrovec Deanery, Josip Mrzljak; on behalf of the members of men#!s religious orders by the provincial of the Salesians and president of the Conference of the Superiors of Religious Orders, Stjepan Bolkovac; on behalf of the members of women#!s religious orders by the president of the Union of Mother Superiors, the Rev. Mother Agneta Tadić-Šutra; and on behalf of the lay catechists, Snježana Cecelja. In Dean Mrzljak#!s words of greeting, he thanked Cardinal Kuhariæ for his leadership of the archdiocese, congratulating him on his name day and wishing him good health and a long life. The dean greeted the new archbishop, Josip Bozanić, in the following words: Although we do not know you well enough personally, we know what you are bringing us and why you have come. You bring to us the apostolic continuation of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Therefore, we eagerly accept you and greet you. You shall not be a stranger among us because there are no strangers in the Church. You have come to Zagreb, the heart of Croatia. You have come to us in the first year of the three-year preparations for the Great Jubilee of two millennia of Christianity. We know that in your former office, you were an ardent supporter of the Second Vatican Council. The Holy Father has just sent us a message on the coming jubilee: #!The best preparation for the end of the second millennium, however, will not be able to be expressed except in renewed efforts for the most faithful possible application of the teachings from the Second Vatican Council in the lives of every individual and the entire Church.”
The Mass ended with the singing of the Croatian anthem, Lijepa naša [Our Beautiful Homeland] and the Marian hymn Zdravo Djevo [Hail Mary]. During the Mass, the choir performed “Evo veliki sve enik” [Here is a Great Priest] and “Hvalite Gospodina svi narodi” [Praise the Lord of All Nations] composed by An elko Klobučar; “Slava” [Gloria] and Jaganj e Bo ji [Agnus Dei] from the “Misa sv. Kvirina” [Mass of St. Quirinus] for men#!s choir, organ and trumpet, dedicated to the new archbishop by M. Demovi ; “Svet” [Sanctus] from the “Hrvatska misa” [Croatian Mass] by Ivo Peran, and “Panis Angelicus” by C. Franck.