Croatians give great credit to Pope Karol Wojtyla for his resolute advocating of Croatians' right to freedom and independence and to their culture and religious beliefs, as well as for his backing of Croatia throughout his pontificate, especially during the difficult periods when the country struggled for freedom and independence in the 1990s.
Pope John Paul II and the Vatican greatly contributed to the international recognition of the Republic of Croatia. The Holy See recognised Croatia on 13 January 1992, two days before most European countries did.
On 8 February 1992, Croatia and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations.
Pope John Paul II visited Croatia three times.
His first visit was on 10-11 September 1994. Upon arriving at the Zagreb airport, the Holy Father kissed the Croatian soil. On that occasion he was received by the then Croatian President Franjo Tudjman.
After this visit, the Vatican and Croatia signed three agreements regulating their relations. The conclusion of the three agreements on legal matters, cooperation in education and culture, and spiritual counselling in the military and police was regarded as the crown of bilateral relations.
His second visit to Croatia was on 2-4 October 1998. The central event of the three-day visit was the beatification of the Zagreb Archbishop, Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, in the national Marian shrine of Marija Bistrica, northern Croatia, on 3 October. On the third day of the visit, the Holy Father visited the Adriatic city of Split.
The Pope's third visit to Croatia on 4-9 June 2003 was his 100th trip outside Italy during his pontificate. On that occasion he toured Rijeka, Dubrovnik, Osijek, Djakovo and Zadar.
"Thank you, beloved people of Croatia, for always welcoming me with open arms and hearts... I remember your sufferings caused by the war, which are still visible on your faces and reflect on your lives. I am close to all who are suffering from the tragic consequences of the war. I also know your strength, courage and faith, and I am sure that your long-standing commitment will enable you to see better days," the Pope said in Zadar before departing for Italy. Hundreds of thousands of Croatians attended masses he said on all three visits to the country.
The Pope canonised two Croats: Leopold Mandic and Marko Krizevcanin, and beatified another three: Alojzije Stepinac, nun Marija Petkovic, and Ivan Merz.
The Pope also strongly supported Croatia in its bid to join the European Union. On 22 February 2005, he received Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader as the last senior foreign official to be granted an audience.
On 25 May 1991 the Pope received privately the then President Franjo Tudjman, who was the first Croatian head of state to have an audience with the pontiff.
Later, on several occasions, the Pope granted audiences to Croatian presidents Tudjman and his successor Stjepan Mesic, as well as other senior officials, including former Sabor Speaker Vlatko Pavletic and Prime Ministers Zlatko Matesa, Ivica Racan and Ivo Sanader.
The Pope visited neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina twice, on 9-10 April 1997, when he visited Sarajevo, and on 22 June 2003, when he visited the northwestern city of Banja Luka.