Zagreb, (IKA) — On the occasion of the completion of Archbishop Giulio Einaudi’s eleven-year mission as the apostolic nuncio in the Republic of Croatia, an anthology of his selected addresses, homilies and speeches during this entitled Dragocjeno služenje Crkvi [Precious Service to the Church], published by the Croatian Conference of Bishops and Glas Koncila, was presented at the Vjenac Auditorium of the archdiocesan theological seminary in Zagreb on the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, September 8. The foreword to this volume was written by the president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Archbishop Josip Bozanić, who at the presentation pointed out that the book is a valuable document of our Church and civil history. “This books speaks about the first decade of the Croatian state, relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Croatia, the Catholic Church in Croatia, and the service and activity of the first nuncio of the Holy See in Croatia,” said Archbishop Bozanić. He added that the book also reveals the manner in which the Holy See acts: always in the service of encouraging and respecting every person and every nation, consistently seeking possible solutions, honoring and respecting legal institutions and regional customs. On behalf of the publishers, Archbishop Bozanić then presented the first copy of the book to the first apostolic nuncio in Croatia. To the assembled Croatian bishops, priests, religious and distinguished figures in political social, cultural and public life, Archbishop Einaudi said that this book was a most beautiful gift that he will gladly take with him because it contains mementos of his Church and diplomatic activities and reminds him of people he met and places he visited. “This book and the testimony of your affection and profound respect for the Holy Father, together with the confirmation of the faith that the Croatian nation proclaims, once again confirm the thousand-year history of your Catholic nation,” said Archbishop Einaudi.

The book, edited by the editor-in-chief and director of Glas Koncila, the Revs. Ivan Miklenić and Nedjeljko Pintarić, in four chapters presents selected public appearances by Archbishop Einaudi in his diplomatic service, at significant Church assemblies in Croatian dioceses, in Croatian public life and direct pastoral activity. The Rev. Pintarić said that the volume records many of the nuncio’s speeches, homilies and addresses which he delivered to us in our Croatian language, encouraging us and working for the dignity of every person, for peace, in the defense of the poor and the needy and many other fundamental values of our contemporary Church doctrine. The content of the book, that records the multifaceted activities of Archbishop Einaudi in Croatia from 1992 to 2003, was discussed by the distinguished Croatian Biblical scholar Fra Bonaventura Duda and the Catholic layman Stjepan Lice.