Zagreb, April 14, 1999 (IKA) – On the occasion of the 18th Plenary Session of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, a press conference was held on April 14 on the premises of the Croatian Conference of Bishops. Speaking at the press conference were Bishop Marko Culej of Varaždin, president of the Commission for the Great Jubilee 2000; Archbishop Ivan Prenđa of Zadar, president of Croatian Caritas; and Auxiliary Bishop Vlado Košić of Zagreb, the bishop in charge of Church media. Bishop Culej spoke briefly about the significance and preparations for the Great Jubilee 2000, especially the program for the celebration of the Great Jubilee in Rome that will begin with the opening of the Holy Gates of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican on Christmas Eve of this year. Celebrations will also begin simultaneously in cathedrals and local churches throughout the world. Celebrations of the Eucharist conducted by local bishops will be preceded by formal processions into the churches. Bishop Culej then spoke about the symbolism of the Great Jubilee, i.e. pilgrimages, opening of the holy gates, forgiveness, cleansing of memory, love toward the poor and unfortunates, commemoration of martyrs and the figure of Mary. At the 18th Plenary Session of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, it was decided that eucharistic congresses would be held on the levels of the parishes, deaneries and dioceses, according to the model of the World Eucharistic Congress to be held in Rome, with the purpose of strengthening the sense of community among the faithful. Pilgrimages to the Holy Land will be organized on the diocesan level, since the Pope has decided that in addition to Rome and the local Churches, central celebration of the Great Jubilee will also be held in the Holy Land. The final celebration of the Great Jubilee will be on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, 2001. Archbishop Prenđa of Zadar pointed out that the Great Jubilee, together with re-evangelization, also requires cultural solidarity. He then spoke about the undertakings of Croatian Caritas for helping the Kosovar refugees, expressing satisfaction with the responses by individuals and institutions who have collected humanitarian assistance for the victims from Kosovo. Up to now, over 300,000 kunas have been collected and 64 tons of food and other necessities have been sent to Albania on four airplanes, including 12,000 blankets. A 600-ton boat is being loaded and should soon be sailing from the Zadar harbor toward Albania said the archbishop, adding that Zadar Caritas has assumed the role of the logistical base for forwarding assistance collected by the diocesan branches of Caritas. He also pointed out the good cooperation of the Varaždin Diocese and the Zadar Archdiocese with the Red Cross, and urged all people of good will and volunteer organizations to continue contributing assistance to the Kosovar refugees. “Until now, our Caritas has been the recipient of assistance, and now it is the intermediary and donator of assistance to others who have been victimized,” said Archbishop Prenđa. The president of the Croatian Caritas also testified that sending assistance to the Kosovar refugees is an expression of solidarity with the numerically small Catholic Church in Albania and an expression of gratitude for all the assistance that the victims received during the recent war in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Auxiliary Bishop Vlado Košić of Zagreb informed the journalists about the main topics discussed at the Plenary Session of the Croatian Conference of Bishops. Bishop Košić said that the bishops discussed their recent visit to the Vatican, preparations for the Great Jubilee, the bylaws of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and regulations for the councils and agencies of the Croatian Conference of Bishops. Still on the agenda, said Bishop Košić, are theology students in the army and the reorganization of the Catholic mass media.