Holy Father,

Today, on the feast of Pentecost, the Church in Croatia shouts for joy. Today, in the Holy Spirit, I give thanks for the inestimable gift of your presence among us in Croatia, in Rijeka, and that you have already been with us for four days. I thank you for visiting Croatia for the third time, on your hundredth pilgrimage.
Thank you, thank you Holy Father.

I address these words of gratitude to you on behalf of the Croatian bishops present, the members of the Croatian Conference of Bishops. Thank you, Holy Father, for having wanted to assemble us once again around you, for this fraternal feast, here at the seminary in Rijeka. With this pastoral visit to the Church in Croatia, you have embraced all the three Ecclesial territories and the Zadar Archdiocese. The pastors and God’s people are proud, honored and grateful to you for this, Holy Father. Your previous visits, in 1994 when you came as an angel of peace and in 1998 when you bestowed upon us a new beatus, Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, are deeply impressed in people’s memories.

Many changes have occurred during the past decade in Croatia, in both the society and the Church. During the entire time of our history, at every joyful and painful moment, we have always sensed your fatherly affection, encouragement and help. The Croatian people and particularly the Church in Croatia are infinitely grateful to you.

This year the Croatian Conference of Bishops is also celebrating a little jubilee. It was ten years ago that you, Holy Father, established the Croatian Conference of Bishops and the Congregation for Bishops issued a decree on May 15, 1993. Ten years ago today, June 8, 1993, a constitutional meeting was held, at which Cardinal Franjo Kuharić of blessed memory presided. During this period, the Church structures were consolidated. You, Holy Father, established three new dioceses and a military ordinariate. Four contracts between the Holy See and the Republic of Croatia were ratified. The new evangelization and call to holiness are now in our hearts, in the perspective in which you, Holy Father, have placed the entire pastoral activity of the Church at the beginning of the third millennium. Obedient to your call, we Croatian bishops have issued joint pastoral guidelines at the beginning of the new millennium, entitled Called to Holiness.

Your pilgrimages among the Churches of the world are often in connection with beatification and canonization, thus bearing witness to the holiness of the sons and daughters of the Church. We also give thanks for the providential sign of your pontifical service. Moreover, we thank you for the new blessed one, Mother Mary of Jesus Crucified Petković, and we thank you in advance for the Servant of God Ivan Merz, who died in Zagreb in 1928 with a repuation of saintliness, whom you will beatify in fifteen days in his native city of Banja Luka.

We are also honored that you have made your third apostolic visit to Croatia in the year devoted to the Rosary, the twenty-fifth year of your fruitful and blessed pontificate. As October 16, the date of your election as Pope, approaches, we wish to say to you, Holy Father, that we are entirely united with you in prayer and works, entrusting your office to the Blessed Virgin.
May God grant you health, strength and grace so that the Church and the whole world may enjoy your testimony, your words and your leadership. Holy Father, this is what we need!

Allow me on this joyous occasion to present you with a small gift, a remenbrance of this moment that you wished to share with us. It is a chalice with the following inscription:

In tertia Visitatione Apostolica Croatiae
diebus 5 – 9 Iunii anno 2003
Summo Pontifici Ioanni Paulo II
annum XXV Pontificatus celebrantis
Conferentia Episcoporum Croatiae
die sollemni Pentecostes
summa cum gratitudine
hunc calicem donat.

Holy Father, thank you once again for being here with us!