OMISALJ, June 5 (Hina) - Pope John Paul II arrived on Croatian soil for the third time, this time to the airport on Krk Island on Thursday afternoon.
OMISALJ, June 5 (Hina) - Pope John Paul II arrived on Croatian soil
for the third time, this time to the airport on Krk Island on
Thursday afternoon. #L#
The pope was accompanied from Alitalia's plane by the Apostolic
Nuncio to Croatia, Giulio Einaudi, who was the first to extend a
welcome to the pope on the start of his five-day pastoral journey in
Croatia.
Exiting the plane on which the papal and Croatian flags were
hoisted, a little before 5pm with a raised arm the Holy Father
greeted and blessed the gathered state officials, church
dignitaries and numerous faithful who started arriving at the
airport hours before.
The Holy Father was also greeted by the Croatian army's lined Guard
of Honour. The army's Military Orchestra played the papal and
Croatian anthems.
The pope was greeted at the airport by President Stjepan Mesic,
Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic and Krk Bishop Valter Zupan.
On behalf of the government, the Holy Father was greeted by Prime
Minister Ivica Racan with vice-premiers Goran Granic, Slavko
Linic, Anto Simonic and Zeljka Antunovic, as well as Foreign
Minister Tonino Picula and the Croatian Ambassador to the Holy See,
Franjo Zenko.
On behalf of the parliament, the pope was greeted by president
Zlatko Tomcic and vice-presidents Baltazar Jalsovec and Zdravko
Tomac.
The Holy Father was also greeted by other members of the permanent
council of the Croatian Bishops' Conference (HBK) -- Zadar
Archbishop Ivan Prendja, Split Archishop Marin Barisic, Gospic
Bishop Mile Bogovic, Rijeka Archbishop Ivan Devcic and PorecBishop
Ivan Milovan -- and HBK secretary-general and national co-
ordinator of the pope's third pastoral visit to Croatia, Monsignor
Vjekoslav Huzjak.
Local government representatives headed by Primorje-Gorski Kotar
Prefect Zlatko Komadina were also present.
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