Krk, (IKA) – The inaugural address by the newly ordained Bishop Ivica Petanjak during the celebration of his ecclesial ordination in the Krk Cathedral on Sunday, March 22, began with a quotation from the Gospel: “In that time, and for all times, because the Word of Our Lord Jesus Christ is eternal, as it is written: ‘As for you, do not be called “Rabbi.” You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called “Master”; you have but one master, the Messiah'” (Mt 23, 8–10).
“In the spirit of these words of Jesus, I want each of you to recognize himself or herself as a brother or sister, regardless of your church or social position, because in Jesus Christ we are brothers and sisters, as well as sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father, who unites us together with his heavenly and eternal love in the Holy Spirit. To this Triune, infinite and eternal God, from whom we receive everything that we are and have, we express our gratitude and give glory for this day of our fellowship, because He took a litte monk and priest and brought him to this island diocese that, until a few days ago, had never heard of his name and today this venerable Diocese of Krk, by Divine Providence, has joined the continental and coastal parts of Croatia and the Church in Croatia has become united in a single place, led by its bishops and the people of God who hurried here from all the parts of our homeland,” said Bishop Petanjak.
He stressed that for him the Diocese of Krk has “become the beginning of a completely new life and new mission. (…) It has become the eighth place of my priestly journey and is the eighth beginning and end, a beginning without an end,” he said.
“I thank Pope Francis and the Apostolic Nuncio Alessandro D’Errico for their confidence in me, as well as Cardinal Josip Bozanić, the Principal Consecrator, for his words of encouragement and fraternal closeness, and my honorable predecessor, Msgr. Valter Župan, the former Bishop of Krk, for his faithful and dedicated service to this people of God. I thank all the archbishops and bishops from the homeland and other countries, led by Archbishop Želimir Puljić, President of the Croatian Conference of Bishops,” he said. He also thanked all the county prefects and mayors, as well as the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Josip Leko, for their presence.
“I thank my parents, Stjepan and Kata, who this year are celebrating their diamond jubilee, their sixtieth wedding anniversary, for all the love and care they have instilled in us, their six children, and their grandchildren and great grandchild who was just born,” he said, after which the cathedral erupted in applause. The Bishop jokingly added that now there are three pillars in the family: his mother, his father and himself.
He expressed his gratitude to his many relatives and friends partaking in this celebration, and in the Italian language thanked his fellow Capuchins who had come from other European countries. He especially thanked his monastic brothers of the Croatian Capuchin Province, led by the Provincial Minister, Friar Jure Šarčević, for everything they had invested and instilled in him for the past 35 years.
“If the office of bishop, among other things, signifies recognition and honor, then for me it is possible to apply Jesus’ words to the Apostles: ‘I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of their work’ (Jn 4, 38). I also see this episcopal appointment as recognition of my monastic brothers, of whom some have dedicated their entire lives to Jesus Christ and the Church among the Croats, and suffered for the Church and from the Church. In gratitude to them, proud and humbled before so much love, I enter into their efforts,” he said, and thanked the other priests, monks and nuns present, as well as all his friends and pilgrims from eastern to southern Croatia.
I thank the parish of my birth, St. Michael of Drenje, together with the pastor, local priests and nuns. Here, I cannot forget Zrin and its history of afflictions, where my family has its roots, and thank all those whose ancestors came from this martyred place for sharing in today’s joy,” he said.
In conclusion, Bishop Petanjak addressed the priests, deacons, seminarians, men and women religious, lay faithful and all people of good will of the Diocese of Krk. “When I came to this city and diocese ten days ago, I did not bring a car, furniture or household items. I came in my monastic habit, some of my personal items and books. I cannot offer you what I am not or what I do not have. I was brought up in a Christian and patriotic spirit, and as an adult I chose the life of a monk and priest of St. Francis of Assisi. As a monk and later according to the offices that I have held, my focus has been on guiding fellow religious to build unity and brotherhood, aware that a fruitful apostolate depends primarily on the agreement and harmony of its members. This diocese is not my property. I am not its master. No one became a Christian because of me. This is a diocese of Jesus Christ and I am one of the workers on the field of the Lord. I can only give what I am and what I have. I can give myself and my identity, inextricably linked to my monastic and priestly vocation. I have spent more than two-thirds of my life as a monk, trying to build the monastic community in which I found myself and spiritually ministering to the faithful entrusted to me by my offices.
As the local bishop of this diocese, I will invest my efforts to build the best possible relationships with you, fellow priests and religious. I want each of you who comes to this city to enter the bishop’s residence as you do your own home, because it is your home. I want you to experience me as your brother, since I experience you as my brothers. I would fervently like our encounters to be open, spontaneous, fraternal and friendly,” said the bishop. “Dear brothers and sisters, fellow citizens and tourists, natives of the coastal region and settlers, let us try to build unity in diversity, in which each of us will try to preserve our roots and customs, to be proud of them and transmit them to our descendants, so that this diversity will be incorporated in the mutual respect and personal integrity of those who experience diversity in love and unity.”
The new bishop expressed his openness as follows: “I am confident that this episcopal ordination will not raise a wall between you and me. You have my cell phone number, you know my e-mail address, and when I learn my address and telephone number, I’ll contact you. Now you see where I live. Do not avoid me when you come here,” he said. He urged everyone to connection through prayer, spiritual closeness and unity. “With our combined strengths, we will build a civilization of love based on the gospel of Christ and his call to be holy, like our Holy Father in Heaven, from whom we learn wisdom and prudence, patience and forgiveness, humility and mutual acceptance, living in faith, hope and love,” he said and commended the community to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Star of the Sea; St. Francis of Assisi, the model of the little ones; and St. Quirinus of Sisak, the patron saint of the Diocese of Krk. Following the solemn blessing and the singing of the national anthem Lijepa naša (Our Beautiful Homeland), the hymn Zdravo Djevo (Hail Mary) was sung during the recessional procession.