ORTHODOX BISHOP MAKES FIRST CANONICAL VISIT TO OSIJEK

OSIJEK, May 2 (Hina) - The Orthodox bishop of the Osijek-Baranja diocese, Lukijan Vladulov, served a mass at an Orthodox church in Osijek on Sunday on the occasion of his first canonical visit to the Orthodox faithful in the eastern Croatian town. Bishop Lukijan was welcomed in front of the church by numerous Orthodox believers, while the mass was also attended by representatives of the Osijek-Baranja County Catholic Church and the town of Osijek. Speaking about his canonical visit, bishop Lukijan reminded that "forgiveness and tolerance are Christian duties," and urged for "lasting peace to rule this region." Ecumenical dialogue is especially important in the process, he added. The assistant bishop of the Djakovo-Srijem diocese, Msgr. Gjuro Gasparovic, also said the future lay in true ecumenical dialogue and more frequent and "better meetings between Catholic and Orthodox priests." "(...) all believers, regardless of the religious community they belong to, have the same rights in the realisation of their religious freedoms," Msgr. pointed out. According to Antun Zivkovic, the head of the Osijek-Baranja County Commission for Relations with Religious Communities, "Osijek is an example of where religious freedoms are realised fully and equally." (hina) ha