Zagreb, October 13, 1997 (IKA) — The new archbishop of Zagreb, Josip Bozanić, held his first press conference today, October 13. The first decree by the new archbishop of Zagreb was to establish the Public Relations Office of the Zagreb Archbishop, to be headed by Nedjeljko PintariĆ.
Archbishop Bozanić characterized his appointment as the archbishop of Zagreb as a sign of the continuity of the Church but also of the Church#!s openness toward development, new times and news types of activity. At the press conference, the archbishop spoke about the role and place of laity in the Church, ecumenicism, preparations for the Great Jubilee Year 2000, undertakings to promote social justice, and particularly about the relationship between the Church and politics: “The Church does not want to be in the service of politics but in the service of the ordinary person. Therefore, it will be a critic and associate of both the authorities and the opposition in order to achieve good for each individual.” Archbishop Bozanić stated that he intends to place particular emphasis on promoting the role of the laity in the Church and the establishment of parish pastoral councils. The new archbishop also referred to the question of social justice, saying that the Church particularly stresses and supports the rights of every person to work and receive fair wages. A special appeal is being directed to all the faithful whose enterprises are opening new jobs, said the archbishop. At the conference there was also mention of work with young people, who should become active in the pastoral activity of the Church. Mention was also made of preparations for the Great Jubilee Year 2000, which the archbishop said must reflect the history and past of the Church in Croatia, while stressing values that must be cultivated in the future. Regarding ecumenicism, the archbishop emphasized that it must live among ordinary believers, appealing to all the faithful, especially the Catholic media, to study the Pope#!s speeches and sermons delivered in Zagreb in order for the messages by the head of the Church to live within the present Church among the Croats. The territory of the Zagreb Archdiocese encompasses five large entities: the city of Zagreb and the regions of Karlovac, Sisak-Kutina, Bjelovar-Križevci and Krapina-Zagorje. Within the Zagreb ecclesiastical metropolitan territory are five dioceses: Zagreb, Ðakovo-Srijem, Varaždin, Požega and Križevci. Mutual cooperation among them will be cultivated, emphasized Metropolitan Archbishop Josip Bozanić. Some institutions, such as the school of theology, the archdiocesan seminary and Catholic press will continue to be shared in common. The archbishop expressed his satisfaction with the activity of the religious orders in the territory of the Zagreb Archdiocese, noting that they embody the vitality of the Church and have announced intentions to promote better mutual cooperation in order to economize efforts and provide coverage to all the pastoral areas. At the end of the press conference, Archbishop Josip Bozanić announced that a session of the Croatian Conference of Bishops will be held in Durbornik tomorrow, when a new president of that body will be elected and new directives will be issued for the activity of the Church among the Croats during the coming year. (e10247sv)