The Pope dedicated the central part of his address to the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, noting that "his martyrdom signals the culmination of the violence perpetrated against the Church during the terrible period of communist persecution. Croatian Catholics, and in particular the clergy, were objects of oppression and systematic abuse, aimed at destroying the Catholic Church, beginning with its highest Authority in this place" but, nevertheless, "such a hardened regime could not make the Church bow down."

The Director of the Holy See Press Office on the day's events during the Pope's visit to Croatia and the themes of his addresses. He particularly noted the exceptional welcome shown to the Pope by the people and the government officials and presented figures that 50,000 of the faithful participated in the prayer vigil of young people and that 400,000 were at the Hippodrome for the celebration of the Mass.

The Pope blessed cornerstones and the commemorative votive candle of Croatian Catholic Families

Twenty people participated in making the chasuble, featuring cross and flower motifs

"I have come here today to confirm you in your faith. This is the gift I bring you: the faith of Peter, the faith of the Church! But at the same time you give me this same faith, enriched with your experience, your joys and sufferings. In a special way you give me your faith lived in the family, so that I may keep it in the patrimony of the whole Church."

"We are forced to acknowledge the spread of a secularization, which leads to the exclusion of God from life and the increasing disintegration of the family, especially in Europe… Freedom without commitment to the truth is made into an absolute, and individual well-being through the consumption of material goods and transient experiences is cultivated as an ideal, obscuring the quality of interpersonal relations and deeper human values; love is reduced to sentimental emotion and to the gratification of instinctive impulses, without a commitment to build lasting bonds of reciprocal belonging and without openness to life. We are called to oppose such a mentality! Alongside what the Church says, the testimony and commitment of the Christian family – your concrete testimony – is very important," said the Pope.

Thank you for this visit, by which you responded to our repeated requests and, thus, have expressed your pastoral concern for the Church in Croatia. We thank you for everything you are doing for us, for the love that you are showing us, said Cardinal Bozanić in his address of welcome to the Pope.