HOLY FATHER PRAYS AT STEPINAC'S GRAVE

( Editorial: --> 5191 ) ZAGREB, Oct 2 (Hina) - Pope John Paul II on Friday night addressed the people gathered outside the Zagreb Cathedral and especially the youth. He later went to the grave of Zagreb Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac who is tomorrow to be beatified at the Celebration of the Eucharist in Marija Bistrica (near Zagreb). The Holy Father arrived at the especially decorated square outside the Cathedral accompanied by the Holy See's Secretary of State, Angelo Sodana and Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic and retired Zagreb Archbishop, Cardinal Franjo Kuharic as well as other Church dignitaries. The Pope was awaited by a crowd of faithful who had gathered at the square decorated with posters of the Pope carrying the motto "In thee O Lord I place my faith", which was the bishop's motto taken by Cardinal Stepinac. Other posters portraying the Pope read "You will be my witnesses", the motto of Pope John Paul II's second pastoral visit to Croatia. The Pope was also awaited by high Church officials; archbishops, bishops from Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Vojvodina (northern region of Yugoslavia), and several cardinals from Europe. The local primate of the Zagreb Church, Archbishop Josip Bozanic greeted the Holy Father and wished him a warm welcome to Croatia's capital Zagreb. Wishing the head of the Catholic Church a warm welcome, Archbishop Bozanic said, "here, before what we like to call Stepinac's Cathedral, we stand today in holy exaltation and pride. The people of Zagreb and the countless faithful of our Homeland during the past decades have transformed this cathedral into a place of pilgrimage, the grave site of our martyr and teacher Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac". Highlighting that before the Cathedral were gathered particularly numerous assembly of young people, Archbishop Bozanic repeated Pope John Paul II's words that the future of the world and the Church belongs to the young generations who, born in this century, will be mature in the future century, the first in the new millennium. "Holy Father, young people await your words in order to find in them the light for their lives, courage for their march into the future and impetus for building a new civilisation of love. Angel of Our Hope, we ask you to confirm us in faith and through the power of the Holy Spirit, fortify us in our faith and show us the path and lead us toward the third millennium - Christ's and ours", said Bozanic. Turning to the gathered faithful, Pope John Paul II especially greeted the youth welcoming in them the future of these regions and the Church amongst Croats. "Each citizen, particularly the believer, has precise responsibilities for his own homeland. Your country expects from you a significant contribution in the different areas of social, economic, political and cultural life. Its future will be better to the degree that each one of you makes a commitment to self- improvement, said the leader of the Catholic Church", said the Holy Father. Fervently desiring that Croatia never again be faced with war, the he said that Croatia was an integral part of Europe, and that it had definitively closed a painful chapter of its history, leaving behind the terrible tragedies of the twentieth century in order to look towards the new millennium with a fervent desire for peace, freedom, solidarity and cooperation among peoples. He expressed his desire that the fundamental rights of the person be recognised and embraced in this country, beginning with the right to life from its very first moments until its natural end. Pope John Paul II wished that in the future Croatia remained faithful to Christ. It is in that faith that the secret of true freedom can be found, he said quoting the words of the Croatian poet, I. Gundulic, "for freedom is a gift in which God Most High has given us every treasure". "May the Lord grant you steadfast faith, active harmony and the wisdom to make decisions inspired by the common good", said Pope John Paul II invoking his blessing on the gathered crowd. While the crowd sang hymns and prayed, the Pope entered the Cathedral and made his way through the numerous clergy gathered inside Zagreb's See to the soon to be beatified, Stepinac's grave. For this great occasion the grave has been uncovered so that the Holy Father could kneel in prayer before his earthly remains. Pope John Paul II prayed in silence at Stepinac's grave. Upon completing his prayer, the Pope together with his closest associates was taken to the Archbishop's Court. Later he will be escorted to the official papal residency in Croatia and the Apostolic Nuntiary. On Saturday, St. Peter's successor will celebrate Holy Mass in the Marian shrine at Marija Bistrica where he will proclaim Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac blessed. (Hina) sp 022201 MET oct 98