ARCHBISHOP BOZANIC CONSECRATES ST. TRYPHON CATHEDRAL IN BOKA KOTORSKA BAY

KOTOR, Dec 2 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian Bishops' Conference, Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic, on Saturday consecrated the ancient Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Tryphon (Tripun) in Boka Kotorska Bay, Montenegro, following the completion of 14-year-long reconstruction works on one of the most valuable sacral buildings in Boka Kotorska Bay. The ceremony started with a procession which carried the reliquary of St Tryphon, the patron of the Kotor cathedral, and the relics of other martyrs from Boka Kotorska Bay into the cathedral. Attending the ceremony along with Archbishop Bozanic, who consecrated the building, were Kotor bishop Ilija Janjic and Split- Makarska bishop, Msgr. Marin Barisic. Bishop Janjic welcomed the head of the ceremony, Archbishop Bozanic, the apostolic nuncio in Belgrade, Eugenio Sbarbaro, and representatives of the Serb Orthodox Church, headed by Montenegro- Primorje bishop Amfilohije Radovic, and then read out a telegram by the Holy See's state secretary Angelo Sodano. Apostolic nuncio Sbarbaro greeted the gathered on behalf of Pope John Paul II. "The rebuilding of this temple is the rebuilding of our souls, our inner temples," said Sbarbaro, relaying the Pope's blessing. Archbishop Bozanic spoke about the importance of the Kotor cathedral for the history of the area and its people, stressing that the Cathedral of St. Tryphon has been a meeting point of two religions - Catholic and Orthodox - throughout the history. A charter on the reconstruction of the cathedral was read out at the end of today's ceremony. (hina) rml