ROME'S INSTITUTE IN ROME ROME, Oct 23 (Hina) - The Croatian Papal Institute of St. Jerome in Rome organised a ceremony on Wednesday evening marking the installation of Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic as a cardinal.
ROME, Oct 23 (Hina) - The Croatian Papal Institute of St. Jerome in
Rome organised a ceremony on Wednesday evening marking the
installation of Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic as a cardinal. #L#
Welcoming the guests, the institute's rector Jure Bogdan recalled
the rich 550-year-long history of this centre of the Croatian
Catholic Church in Rome. As cardinal, Bozanic has been named
honorary head of the Croatian Church of St. Jerome in Rome, which is
being reconstructed.
Bozanic is the sixth Croatian cardinal, and the fourth successive
cardinal coming from Croatia, the first one being the blessed
Alojzije Stepinac, "whose opposition to the fascist and communist
totalitarianism was recognised by the entire free world", said
Croatia's Ambassador to the Holy See, Franjo Zenko.
Zenko also commended the work of cardinals Franjo Seper and Franjo
Kuharic. Addressing Bozanic, he said he hoped that Bozanic would
contribute to Croatia's democratic, spiritual, cultural and
economic maturity before it joined the EU.
Thanking for the congratulations, Bozanic said the Institute of St.
Jerome and its history proved the European and Christian tradition
of the Croat people.
Pope John Paul II visited the institute in 1989, when he was still
not allowed to visit the then Yugoslav federation.
Last night's event was attended by Catholic archbishops from
Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cardinal Vinko Puljic of Bosnia-
Herzegovina, the Croatian ambassadors to the Holy See and Italy,
Franjo Zenko and Drago Kraljevic, and priests and nuns.
(hina) rml