Rijeka, (IKA) – The main solemn mass will be held on Delta, a large square situated between the two rivers of Rijecina and Mrtvi kanal (the Dead channel) that can host up to 120.000 people. The stand with the altar faces the mainland and it is 28m long and 15m wide. The base is 2m high, while the cover is 10m high. The whole construction is made of aluminum and the backside is covered with a thin plastic layer thus allowing the light to penetrate from above making a special effect. The floor of the stand is covered with a gray-blue carpet, while the part where the Pope#!s cathedral stands is covered with a 3×3.5m dark red carpet. In the background of the stand there is a construction in the shape of a cross, 7.5m high, whose central part is made of light blue plexiglas thus allowing the light to pass through. Underneath the chromed profile we have chosen two dominant colors, white and sky-blue, which are also the colors of the city of Rijeka. There is also the ochre yellow symbolizing the church of the Holy Father. The flower decorations of the stand will be mainly in orange and red as symbols of the flames of the Holy Spirit. At the bottom of the stand there are two large boards; on one there is the symbol of the Pope in relief, while on the other the official logo of Pope#!s visit. The altar and the pulpit are from the cathedral of St. Vitus, while the crucifix comes from the chapel of the Archbishop#!s residence and its author is Biagio Devcic, pupil of the great Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic.
By the Pope#!s stand there will be the tent of the delegation of the Holy See and in front of the stand to the left is the area reserved for state officials and guests, in the center is the area for the clergy and behind them for different catholic organizations. To the right of the stand is the area reserved for believers, folk groups, disabled, while further to the right is the area for the choir (an estimated 400 members) that will perform the whole “Old Slavic Mass” by Krmpotic. Behind them is the area reserved for the ones that will keep vigil on the eve of the Whit Sunday. There are also areas reserved for TV-crews, medical help centers, toilets and police checkpoints on the entrances to the Delta. The right side of the stand is the area for the higher clergy.

The stage designer to whom we owe the design of the whole construction is Dalibor Laginja, stage designer from the national theatre of Ivan pi. Zajc in Rijeka. He wanted the stand to be simple, monumental and elegant and at the same time to symbolize the city hosting the Holy Father. The overall effect is very beautiful and pleasant. The historic significance of Delta is that, during the Italian occupation, the river Rijecina was the border with Yugoslavia from 1921 to 1947 and thus Delta marked the division of the Croatian people between two states and two towns, while now it is a symbol of unification and peace.