Zagreb, January 7, 2003 (IKA) — The president of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, Ivica Racan, received representatives from the official Vatican delegation entrusted with the preparations for the forthcoming third visit by Pope John Paul II to Croatia, according to the Government Public Relations Office.
The other representative of the Government of Croatia attending the meeting was the vice president of the Government and the president of the Committee for the Preparation and Oversight of the Forthcoming Visit by the Holy Father to Croatia, Dr. Goran Granic. The representatives of the Catholic Church attending the meeting were the head of Protocol of the Holy See entrusted with special duties, Msgr. Renato Boccardo; the archbishop of Zagreb, Msgr. Josip Bozanic; the apostolic nuncio in Croatia, Archbishop Giulio Einaudi; the general secretary of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Msgr. Vjekoslav Huzjak; and a member of the Vatican delegation, Dr. Alberto Gasbarri.
During the meeting, Msgr. Boccardo informed those present that the Holy Father had accepted an invitation from the Croatian Government and four bishops to visit Croatia for the third time. He also conveyed the Pope’s greetings to Croatia as well as expressions of fond memories, adding that the Holy Father remembers the Croatian people and his two previous visits to Croatia with great love. Msgr. Boccardo also mentioned the Christmas tree on St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, a gift from Croatia to the Holy See.
Premier Racan pointed out that the Croatian Government was joyfully looking forward to the coming visit by the Holy Father to Croatia and that it would use all available resources in order for the visit to be organized and proceed in the best possible way. He reported to the others present at the meeting that the Government has established a Commission for the Preparation and Oversight of the Forthcoming Visit by the Holy Father to Croatia, which will work together with the commission from the Catholic Church on the preparations for the visit, which has the goal of furthering the good relations between the Republic of Croatia and the Holy See.
Msgr. Boccardo reported that the delegation from the Vatican would visit four cities — Rijeka, Đakovo, Zadar and Dubrovnik — and based on these visits and negotiations regarding technical details would prepare a draft program for the Holy Father’s visit to Croatia. He also said that the goal of this visit by the Holy Father was to deepen relations between Croatia and the Holy See, and that with this visit the Pope also intends to draw attention to the community and common cultural and spiritual roots that link the nations of Eastern, Western and Northern Europe. Msgr. Boccardo said that the Holy Father has devoted particular attention cooperation among different religions and nations, so that apostolic visits such as the one to Croatia place particular emphasis upon the cooperation of all people of goodwill.
At the end of the meeting, Msgr. Boccardo thanked the Croatian Government for the assistance it has provided thus far as well as everything that the representatives of the Croatian authorities and the Catholic Church will do to assure that the visit by the Holy Father proceeds in the best possible way. Premier Racan asked the representatives of the delegation to convey to the Holy Father and the Holy See that Croatia is looking forward to the fprthcoming visit by the Holy Father with great happiness and the Croatian people are prepared to welcome him joyfully.