ZAGREB ARCHBISHOP CELEBRATES MASS FOR THE HOMELAND

ZAGREB, June 25 (Hina) - Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic celebrated mass at St. Mark's Church on Wednesday on the occasion of Croatian Statehood Day. #L# Apostolic Nuncio to Croatia Giulio Einaudi took part in the mass alongside Bozanic. Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, parliament president Zlatko Tomcic, Prime Minister Ivica Racan, vice-premiers and parliament vice-presidents, MPs, leaders of opposition parties and representatives of the city government attended the mass. Wishing all the best on Statehood Day to state officials, Bozanic thanked all state institutions for their successful work in organising the pope's third pastoral visit to Croatia. Bozanic particularly noted Pope John Paul II's messages during his recent visit to Croatia. The pope emphasised the importance of Croatia's ancient Christian roots, as Christianity had in the past greatly contributed to the cultural, artistic, but primarily spiritual and moral development of Croatia, he said. The pope also emphasised the importance of respecting a person's dignity, religious freedoms, solidarity, as well as the respect of minorities, all values written in the character of every human being, Bozanic said. "Recognising the painful marks of recent history, the pope called on all those in authority, both civil and religious, never to become tired of healing wounds caused by war and of removing the consequences of a totalitarian regime," the archbishop said. He also recalled the pope's words relating to family in Croatia, especially the solving of social problems, the primary being housing and unemployment, as well as the respect of Sundays to make it possible for families to be together. The archbishop pointed to the pope's advocating reconciliation, solidarity and social justice. The pope explicitly supported Croatia's efforts to become an integral part of the large family of European peoples, both in the political and economic sense, he said. The mass ended with the singing of the Croatian anthem. (hina) lml