POPE BEATIFIES IVAN MERZ

BANJA LUKA, June 22 (Hina) - Pope John Paul II on Sunday beatified the first Croat Catholic layman, Ivan Merz, during a Eucharist celebrated in Petricevci, near Merz's birthplace of Banja Luka. Present were around 50,000 faithful. #L# Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic, Banja Luka Bishop Franjo Komarica and postulator Bozidar Nagy asked the Holy Father to commence the ceremony of beatification of the servant of God, Ivan Merz. "We, granting the wish of our brother, Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic, and numerous other bishops and many faithful, having considered the opinion of the committee for beatification, with our apostolic authority, allow the servant of God, Ivan Merz, to be called blessed," the pope said. After the beatification, a picture of the blessed Ivan Merz was unveiled beside the altar area. Ivan Merz was born in Banja Luka in 1896. He spent the most fruitful part of his life in Zagreb as a professor of German and French. He was active in educating the Croat youth in Catholic organisations of his time, into which he introduced the principles of the papal Catholic action. Because of his engagement, he was considered the "pillar of the Church" in Croatia. Merz helped many in their corporal and spiritual needs, proof of which are many messages of thanks on his grave. He has been merited with the miraculous and unexplained healing of Anica Ercegovic from tuberculosis. A special commission of Vatican theologists and doctors examined the case and confirmed the healing. Back in 1958, Archbishop Franjo Seper initiated the process of Merz's beatification which was completed 44 years later, when on July 5, 2002, a decree on his heroic virtues was proclaimed in the Vatican. With this act, the Church presented Merz as a role model of how the ideal of Christian sainthood can also be achieved in lay society. (hina) lml sb