Forthcoming Visit for the Croats and the Other Peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina

At the meeting, it was decided that the Pope’s third visit to Croatia, i.e. the Pope’s messages to the Church in Croatia, would be the main topic of the plenary session to be held this autumn in Hvar from October 26 to 30. The bishops thanked everyone who participated in the organization and success of the Pope’s third visit to Croatia

The Holy Mass at which Pope John Paul II will beatify the Venerable Ivan Merz will begin at 11:30 a.m., June 22, in the Franciscan monastery complex of Petrićevac in Banja Luka

“During this trip, I was able to observe how much Christianity has contributed to the artistic, cultural but most of all the spiritual and moral development of Croatia and its people,” said Pope John Paul II during his general audience at the Vatican today.

Pope John Paul II’s jubilee 100th trip outside of Italy, during which he visited five Croatian cities (Rijeka, Dubrovnik, Osijek, Djakovo and Zadar) from June 5 to 9, was concluded on June 9 by a formal farewell ceremony in his honor at the Zadar airport

Pope John Paul II thanked Croatia for the welcome he received and then bestowed his apostolic blessing at the Forum in Zadar.

The Pope is particularly pleased at the growth and expansion of different forms of lay engagement and apostolate in the Zadar Archdiocese

Forum of Zadar, June 9, 2003

Zadar, June 9, 2003

Throughout our history, at every joyful and painful moment, we have always sensed your fatherly affection, encouragement and help