Zadar, June 9, 2003 (IKA) – 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, attended by the highest Government and Church officials. He was first bid farewell by Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, Premier Ivica Racan, Speaker of Parliament Zlatko Tomcic, deputy premiers and speakers, the Croatian ambassador to the Holy See, Dr. Franjo Zenko, Zadar County Executive Sime Prtenjaca, and Mayor Bozidar Kalmeta of Zadar. Then the Pope was bid farewell by Church officials: the president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Archbishop Josip Bozanic of Zagreb; the apostolic nuncio in the Republic of Croatia, Archbishop Giulio Einaudi, and the Croatian bishops. The commander of the Honor Guard, Colonel Dragan Basic, saluted the Pope and presented the report. Then the Holy Father, escorted by President Mesic, passed through the Honor Guard to the waiting Croatia Airlines aircraft, where the Church officials once again bid the Pope farewell. At the Zadar airport, members of several singing groups serenaded the Pope with Dalmatian songs and the assembled crowd called out: “We love you, John Paul!” The plane departed for the Rome airport at 1:47 p.m., and was expected to land in an hour.