Zagreb, October 1, 1998 (IKA) — Today, October 1, at 11:00 a.m., Croatian President Franjo Tudjman received program editors from Radio Vatican and the Vatican Television Center, together with representatives of the Croatian mass media, including Glas Koncila, Croatian Catholic Radio and the Catholic Press Agency (IKA), at a press conference on the occasion of the second pastoral visit by Pope John Paul II to Croatia.
At the conference, President Tudjman responded to questions concerning whether there were any differences between the Croatia that welcomed the Holy Father in 1994 and that of today. He was also asked about the peace processes in Croatia as well as neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, to which he responded that “Croatia is interested in having an order established in Bosnia-Herzegovina that would guarantee peace and the existence of the Croatian nation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and also in achieving the strategic interests of the Republic of Croatia.” Regarding a possible solution to the Kosovo crisis, President Tudjman spoke with reserve, noting that he is not overly optimistic regarding a rapid resolution to the crisis due to the manner in which the conflict is being approached.
In response to a question on the fourth economic contract between the Republic of Croatia and the Holy See, President Tudjman said that it would be signed soon after the Pope#!s departure and that the negotiations between representatives of the Croatian Government and the Holy See are nearing a successful conclusion, demonstrating the good will of the Republic of Croatia and the Holy See.
In reference to the impending beatification of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, President Tuđman stated that Stepinac was “a martyr of the communist regime but also an anathema to the [WWII] Independent State of Croatia, and was “also threatened by the German Nazis.” Due to his stance, Cardinal Stepinac is “one of the greatest figures of the Church among the Croats during the Second World War, because he decisively condemned fascist and Nazi crimes, but was also decisively against the communist methods during the Second World War and after the war.” In the opinion of the Croatian president, the act of the beatification of Cardinal Stepinac is the best response to the “baseless and unjust accusations against the Church, the Croatian nation and Cardinal Stepinac,” as well as “the ostensibly [legally] correct court proceedings [against Stepinac] and historical judgments.”
Responding to questions on inter-European dialogue of reconciliation and Croatia#!s place in such reconciliation, President Tudjman stated that “today, a harmony has been achieved among European states that has never before existed in history,” pointing out the distinctly positive role of the Holy Father and the Holy See in these relations in order to prevent conflicts. The phenomenon of Karol Wojtyla, as “a pope from Eastern Europe,” aroused great interest among the world public, and this choice demonstrated “a turning point and the far-reaching considerations of Catholic circles. He has shown himself to be one of the most important figures in the modern world and has imposed himself as the highest moral authority in the world today,” continued Dr. Tudjman.
During the rest of the conference, lasting for an hour and a half, President Tudjman responded to questions on the future of Croatia, freedom of the mass media in Croatia, the relations between Croatia and the international community and good relations between the Republic of Croatia and the Holy See. He also responded to questions in connection with domestic politics, particularly within the majority party. The final questions directed at the president concerned his “religious roots and sources,” to which Dr. Tudjman responded that he came from a Catholic family, had been an altar boy, and during the Mass “had responded in the Latin language.” Through later study and readings in philosophy, he had arrived at the conclusion that the Catholic Church transmits the values that best correspond to the interests of the person as a whole, but also to the nation. Throughout history, when people have adhered to Christian precepts and perceptions of the world, much evil has been avoided and continues to be avoided.