ZAGREB ARCHBISHOP CONDUCTS MASS FOR HOMELAND

ZAGREB, May 30 (Hina) - The head of the Catholic Church in Croatia, Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic, on Tuesday conducted a solemn mass for the Homeland at the St. Mark's Church in Zagreb. Msgr. Bozanic expressed his congratulations to all Croatian citizens on the occasion of Independence Day, asking God to bestow wisdom and care on those holding responsible offices, and diligence and integrity on all citizens, so as to secure civil unity, justice, peace and prosperity through the cooperation of all. Addressing the bearers of political authority in the state and all holding responsible posts, Bozanic said politics had to serve the moral law which came from God and which was based on respect for and promotion of man. "It is there that we find the basic ethical principle, which we can formulate in evangelical expressions - not man for the benefit of politics but politics for the benefit of man," Bozanic said. He called on the faithful to thank "God for giving us an independent and internationally recognised state in which we can realise our love for the homeland in a better and more complete way." "On this place and on this occasion we remember and pray for the first president of the renewed Croatian state, late Franjo Tudjman. He has been recorded in the history of Croatia also as a great architect. We also pray for those who gave their lives for our freedom, for our peace and future," the Zagreb Archbishop said, thanking God for all those who in the hard war years selflessly served the common good in the defence and establishment of the Croatian state. Bozanic also recalled the words of Pope John Paul II on the occasion of his first visit to Croatia in 1994, when he advised the Croat people to look toward the future and have the courage to forgive and accept their brethren. "To forgive does not mean to give up the legal means of the law-based state, which has the task of investigating criminals. To forgive means to free one's own heart from the feeling of revenge, which is incompatible with the establishment of the culture of love, in which every man of good faith participates." "Peace means that in the basis of every initiative there is a sincere wish for dialogue, respect for the rights of every individual, as well as of national minorities, and efforts aimed at mutual tolerance." "These are the urgent tasks of Croatian society in these sensitive and difficult times." "We are all facing the task of reconstruction and everybody is urged to change their own conduct and attitude toward work in the society, general well-being and laws. Rights and obligations as well as responsibility and integrity must be linked. We should urgently promote general and active solidarity with the needy and the poor among us, especially with the unemployed, displaced persons and refugees who are still living in suspense." Attending the mass, along with numerous believers, were Croatian President Stipe Mesic, Croatian National Parliament Speaker Zlatko Tomcic, House of Counties Speaker Katica Ivanisevic, Prime Minister Ivica Racan, Apostolic Nuncio Giulio Einaudi, representatives of religious communities and Croatia's legislative, executive and judicial authorities, political parties and others. (hina) jn rml