"We can be grateful to God for giving us a pope who was so close to us and who understood us so well, advocating as a shepherd and friend our rights, dignity and survival, and especially the rights, dignity and survival of the Catholic Church in Croatia and the Croatian people and all people of good will in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina," Puljic said in a statement to Hina.
Puljic confirmed that he would leave for the Vatican early this week to take part in preparations for the pope's burial and the election of a new pope.
Puljic said he would spend Sunday and Monday in prayer with the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The cardinal recalled that the pope was a builder of bridges between different religions, a person who encouraged young people to search for their own path and heralded the Gospel throughout the world.
Apart from his contribution to the transition from Communism to the free system and the destruction of the Berlin Wall, the pope was always ready to raise his voice for truth and man, despite political differences.
"We can rightfully say that he was a great pope, certainly the man of the century and the man who led the Church from one millennium into another," Puljic said.