Zagreb, May 28, 2003 (IKA) — Archbishop Josip Bozanić of Zagreb, the president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, commenting on the perspectives that forthcoming third visit by Pope John Paul II to Croatia should open, noted that the Holy Father says that all the pastoral activity of the Church should be focused on the program of holiness in the broadest sense of the word and that the Pope regularly proclaims saints and blessed ones on his pastoral visits in order to show that holiness is present in the Church. At a press conference held on May 28 at the Secretariat of the CCB in Zagreb, Archbishop Bozanić announced that one of the main themes of the Pope’s visit will be the family. In Dubrovnik, the Pope will speak about holiness and the relationship between religion and culture. In Osijek and Đakovo, located in the easternmost Croatian Diocese, there will be ecumenical dialogue: the Holy Father will meet with representatives of other Christian faiths after the celebration of the Eucharist. In the opinion of Archbishop Bozanić, this meeting will improve the entire ecumenical atmosphere in our country. For the Pope’s visit to Zadar, on the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, there will be emphasis on the Marian dimensions of our Church, said Archbishop Bozanić.
The vice president of the CCB, Archbishop Ivan Prenđa of Zadar, announced that one of the themes in Zadar will be new evangelization, the new attempts in the field of evangelization being implemented in Zadar through Church movements.
The archbishop of Rijeka, Ivan Devčić, expressed his joy that Rijeka will host the Holy Father on the fifth day of his visit, pointing out that during the remaining preparatory period it is necessary to devote more attention to the family, because the fundamental institution of the family is in crisis today. He mentioned that the Rijeka ecclesiastical territory is the only one in Croatia that Pope has not visited yet. Noting that the Holy Father will be celebrating Pentecost in Rijeka, Archbishop Devčić said that the Pope wants to encourage us to be more open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and to approach the future with greater courage.
In reference to the media coverage of the preparations for the Pope’s visit, Archbishop Bozanić said that the media has followed the preparations from the beginning but there are various criteria, so that some important aspects are not being covered adequately while peripheral aspects receive media prominence. Regarding television coverage, Archbishop Bozanić noted that the programs on the Pope are being broadcast late at night, when few people are watching television.
In response to a question on the financial calculations for the Pope’s visit, Archbishop Bozanić said that each organization costs something but this question should be asked of those who invited the Holy Father, the Church and the Government, who see no problems in this respect. However, Archbishop Bozanić asked his own question: when the Pope leaves, how much will individual cities and the entire country benefit from his visit, even in the material sense? Croatia will be in the news from June 5 to 9 during the visit by the Holy Father, and this is a great boon for Croatia on the cultural, international and even tourist plan.
Auxiliary Bishop Vlado Košić of Zagreb spoke about the feast of Our Lady of the Stone Gate (Majka Božja Kamenitih Vrata), the patron saint of Zagreb, on Saturday, May 31, when there will be a liturgical celebration of the Year of the Zagreb Metropolis in commemoration of its 150th anniversary. A High Mass at 10 a.m. in the Zagreb Cathedral will be concelebrated by Archbishop Bozanić, together with the bishops of the metropolis, to be followed by a procession with a picture of Our Lady of the Stone Gate leading to the Upper City. At this liturgical celebration, Central European Catholic Days will be inaugurated, which will conclude on May 22 and 23 of next year in Mariazell.
The national coordinator of the Pope’s third visit to Croatia, Msgr. Vjekoslav Huzjak, general secretary of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, presented a detailed report on the preparations for the visit by the Holy Father and two visits by the Vatican delegation to Croatia, as well as the work of the commissions that have been established by the Church and Government, which are either working together or in close collaboration.
Commenting on the signed contracts between the Holy See and the Republic of Croatia, Archbishop Bozanić stated that these contracts provide a good foundation for relations between the Government and the Church. They have been signed, they are in force and to a large extent are being implemented, which is an indication of our democratic awareness. Everything that has been agreed upon has not been implemented yet but the task is before us, said Archbishop Bozanić, explaining that the Catholic Church is prepared to speak about the ways to help the Government implement the undertaken obligations. He added that the Church wants to be a participant and aware of the challenges and difficulties. Regarding material goods, the Church seeks them in order to fulfill its mission as well as possible. In reference to the initiated campaign that seeks to forbid stores from operating on Sundays and holidays, Archbishop Bozanić pointed out that this is primarily a campaign by citizens who, with the assistance of Croatian Caritas and other organizations, have become involved. He expressed the opinion that this campaign has helped citizens to realize that they can use certain means and exert influence on the organization of their own lives. In response to a question on the privatization of the insurance company Croatia Osiguranje, Archbishop Bozanić commented that this initiative did not come from the Church but from the public and the official representatives of the authorities. He added that the Church is prepared to assist the Government implement the obligations from the contracts, because the Government of Croatia is required to do so before the Croatian and European public. He pointed out that the initiative concerning Croatia Osiguranje came from Government officials, and the Croatian Conference of Bishops will discuss this matter.