PLANE CARRYING POPE JOHN PAUL II ENTERS CROATIAN AIR SPACE

( Editorial: --> 5081 ) ZAGREB/ROME, Oct 2 (Hina) - The special Alitalia plane carrying Pope John Paul II for his second pastoral visit to Croatia has entered the Republic of Croatia's air space. The MD S80, which this afternoon had left the "Leonardo da Vinci" airport in Fiumicino near Rome, was accompanied by two Croatian Air Force planes after it flew over the eastern Italian town of Ancona and began flying over the Adriatic Sea. On board the plane are the Holy Father, the Vatican's Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodana and other Vatican officials. They were seen off at Fiumicino by Italian Bishops' Conference president Cardinal Camilo Ruini, the Chamberlain of the Catholic Church Eduardo Martinez Somalo, the Dean of the Corps of Cardinals, Bernardin Gatin, and the Croatian Embassy to the Holy See's charge d'affaires Djani Marsan. Following the plane taking off, the Holy Father sent Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro a telegram. Some 50 journalists who are to cover the Pope's visit to Zagreb, Marija Bistrica, Split and Solin are on board the same plane. (Hina) sp jn /mbr 021735 MET oct 98