ZAGREB, Jan 13 (Hina) - Pope John Paul II will pay a visit to Croatia between 5 and 8 June at the invitation of the Croatian government and the Croatian Bishops Conference (HBK), the head of the protocol of the Holy See's state
secretariat, Msgr. Renato Boccardo, said on Monday after the first meeting of the government's committee in charge of preparing the visit and representatives from the Croatian dioceses which the Pope will visit.
ZAGREB, Jan 13 (Hina) - Pope John Paul II will pay a visit to Croatia
between 5 and 8 June at the invitation of the Croatian government
and the Croatian Bishops Conference (HBK), the head of the protocol
of the Holy See's state secretariat, Msgr. Renato Boccardo, said on
Monday after the first meeting of the government's committee in
charge of preparing the visit and representatives from the Croatian
dioceses which the Pope will visit. #L#
A Vatican delegation last week visited Rijeka, Djakovo, Osijek,
Dubrovnik and Zadar - the cities which the Pope is expected to
visit.
Msgr. Boccardo told reporters the delegation had collected
information which would help the Vatican prepare the programme of
the Pontiff's visit.
The delegation will then notify the Croatian government of the
programme, which will carry it out in cooperation with local civil
and church authorities.
Asked whether the Holy Father would beatify Ivan Merz during the
visit, Boccardo said that Merz's beatification was not included in
the programme of the visit to Croatia, but that Merz would be
beatified this year. Boccardo did not comment on where Merz would be
beatified. He said that he did not have any information on the
Pope's visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina, adding that the Holy Father
would beatify Marija Petkovic on the island of Korcula during his
visit to Dubrovnik.
Boccardo said the Pope would be staying in Rijeka, from where he
would travel to the towns included in the programme of the visit.
Asked whether the visit would accelerate Croatia's drawing closer
to the European Union, Boccardo said the Holy Father advocated the
integration of the European continent from the Atlantic to the
Urals and wanted to remind of the common European cultural,
religious and humanist roots.
The Pope supports Croatia's admission to the EU, not only because of
economic interests but also because of the common spiritual and
cultural heritage, he said.
The head of the government's committee in charge of preparing the
Pope's visit, Goran Granic, said he was pleased to be able to
present the programme of the Pontiff's third visit to Croatia on the
11th anniversary of the Holy See's recognition of Croatia.
The June visit is the most challenging one so far because it
includes five dioceses, which should be emphasised considering the
Pope's health, Granic said.
Granic believes that the Pope's visit to Croatia would help speed up
Croatia's integration in the EU. He thanked the Vatican delegation
for their very good cooperation with the Croatian government.
Apostolic nuncio Giulio Einaudi, who also attended the meeting,
said that the Pope's visit would help strengthen the already good
relations between Croatia and the Holy See.
(hina)
rml