Zagreb, October 1, 2000 (IKA) — Over 30,000 Catholics participated in the celebration of the Eucharistic Congress of the Zagreb Archdiocese held on October 1, 2000. The motto of the congress was “Through the Eucharist We Serve Mankind” and the celebration of the Mass in front of the Zagreb Cathedral was led by the archbishop of Prague, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, in concelebration with Archbishop Josip Bozanić of Zagreb, Cardinal Franjo Kuharić and numerous bishops and priests from Croatia and other countries.
Cardinal Vlk in his greetings to the participants reminisced about the first visit by the Holy Father John Paul II to Croatia in September 1994. On this occasion, the cardinal was stuck among the crowds on the way to the Hippodrome, and had a half an hour to look at the faces around him and sense the warmth of the faith that radiated from them. “I respect and admire the Christianity in this nation, with roots that extend back to the first centuries. I want to participate in this celebration of the congress in thanksgiving to God who has remained present, especially in the sacrament of the Eucharist,” said Cardinal Vlk. During his sermon, the archbishop of Prague pointed out how Christ wanted his love to remain on the earth, and in commemoration of His love left the Eucharist as a source of divine life. Speaking about the present, the cardinal noted that we live enclosed within ourselves. “We do not see the other, his needs and desires. We become cruel, we do not feel another’s pain. There is a lack of genuine and vital community, despite all our communications technology. A person cannot achieve self realization in this way. Jesus, on the contrary, urges us to be open toward one another, to a life for others,” Cardinal Vlk emphasized, adding that the presence of Christ, most of all in the Eucharist — in the community — creates a community in which the human being, who was created for the community, finds his place.
All the monetary gifts that were collected during the Mass were intended for the construction of a new church in Glina, to replace the one destroyed during the recent war. In the concluding prayer of the congress, Archbishop Bozanić especially prayed for the Croatian nation, for peace, patience, mutual understanding, respect and more dedicated and responsible efforts by all for the general good.