DEPUTY PM INVITES POPE TO VISIT CROATIA

ROME, June 13 (Hina) - Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic, who is visiting the Vatican, on Wednesday invited Pope John Paul II, on behalf of the Croatian prime minister and president, to visit Croatia for the third time. Talking to Croatian reporters in Rome, Granic said the invitation was "an expression of respect to the Holy Father and an expression of the Croatian citizens' wish." The Pope might visit Croatia next spring, visiting areas he did not see during his earlier trips, like Trsat and Istria, maybe Osijek and probably Dubrovnik. According to Granic, John Paul II had said on one occasion he would like to visit the southern Adriatic town of Dubrovnik. Following a general audience at the Vatican, Granic held talks with cardinal Angelo Sodano, the state secretary of the Holy See, discussing Croatia-Vatican relations and Croatia's new legislation on religious communities. Both officials were positive in their assessment of bilateral relations. The Vatican described Croatia's legislation on religious communities as modern, according to Granic. Sodano was interested in the restitution of Church property. The deputy PM said the settlement of issues pertaining to property and its restitution was slow. Speaking about the possibility of the Holy Father visiting Croatia next spring, Sodano said Croatia was very near and that the Pope might make a weekend trip, starting with Istria and Trsat in the northern Adriatic, which are not too far from Rome. (hina) ha sb