Zagreb, September 4, 1998 (IKA) – Yesterday, September 3, the Press Office
of the Croatian Conference of Bishops issued a statement that we present
in its entirety:

“On Thursday, September 3, 1998, at the Palace of the Archbishop in
Zagreb, there was a meeting of the Standing Council of the Croatian
Conference of Bishops. The meeting was attended by all the members of the
Standing Council of the Croatian Conference of Bishops : Archbishop Josip
Bozanić of Zagreb, President of the Croatian Conference of Bishops;
Archbishop Ante Jurić of Split-Makarska, Vice President of the Croatian
Conference of Bishops; Archbishop Anton Tamarut of Rijeka-Senj, Bishop
Želimir Puljić of Dubrovnik, and Bishop Antun Škvorčević of Požega,
general secretary of the Croatian Conference of Bishops.
“The main subject of the session of the Standing Council of the
Croatian Conference of Bishops was the progress of the ongoing
preparations for the second pastoral visit by the Holy Father to Croatia.
The first part of the session was attended by the presidents of the
Archdiocesan Commissions for Preparations for the Visit by Pope John Paul
II, Msgr. Marin Barišić, president of the Split Archdiocesan Commission,
and Msgr. Vladimir Stanković, president of the Zagreb Archdiocesan
Commission.
“The Standing Council of the Croatian Conference of Bishops was
informed about the progress of the preparations and certain current
difficulties. The president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops
informed the members of the Standing Council on the progress of the
preparations of the fourth contract between the Holy See and the Republic
of Croatia on economic questions. A second important item at this session
of the Standing Council was devoted to preparations for the Seventeenth
Plenary Session of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, to be held in
Šibenik from October 12 to 14 of this year. Individual questions were
considered in connection with the structure and functioning of the
Conference of Bishops. Particular attention was centered on the session
in Šibenik that will be devoted to the messages from the Holy Father to
the Catholic Church in the Republic of Croatia, i.e. the Church among the
Croats. The schedule also includes preparations for the Synod on Europe
being held on the occasion of the Great Jubilee 2000 and some new
documents from the Holy See, including #!General Norms for Restoring the
Permanent Deaconate in the Latin Church.#!”