REPORTERS IN VATICAN INFORMED OF CROATIAN EXHIBITION, WHICH OPENS ON 28 OCT.

VATICAN, Oct 27 (Hina) - A Croatian exhibition which opens in Vatican on Thursday will show how much Croats have contributed to the Western Christianity, said the archivist and librarian of the Holy See, Archbishop Jorge Maria Mejia, at Wednesday's news conference held ahead of the opening of that event in Vatican. The exhibition will show how Croats contributed to the Western Christianity, and for it Croats often had to shed their blood, the Archbishop Mejia told reporters. The show entitled "Croats - Christianity, Culture and Art" includes 130 exhibits bearing testimony to the 14-century-long history of the Christianity on Croatian land. The project has been carried out by Croatia's Culture Ministry, Croatia's Bishops Conference, supported by the Holy See State Secretariat and the Vatican Apostolic Library. The event will be staged under auspices of Croatia's President Franjo Tudjman and the Bishops Conference's President, Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic. Croatian Culture Minister Bozo Biskupic told reporters that this exhibition has been the most important project for Croatia's presentation abroad since the country won independence. Asked to comment claims by Italians who left Dalmatia (southern Croatia) that works of Italians artists have been included into Croatia's art, Biskupic said it was not correct. He explained that Croats have preserved the Greek and Roman heritage they found (when they settled certain areas) but they also created their own culture in a broader European area. He added that names of Croatian artists had frequently been changed into Italian ones. Croatian President Tudjman and the Holy See Secretary of State Angelo Sodano are expected to address the ceremonial opening of the event on Thursday. (hina) jn ms