POPE GIFTED WITH RELIQUARY AND EVANGELISTARY

( Editorial: --> 5283 ) MARIJA BISTRICA, Oct 3 (Hina) - A reliquary with Blessed Alojzije Stepinac's relics and an Evangelistary were the main gifts gifted by Archbishop Bozanic and the Croatian Bishops' Conference to Pope John Paul II after the ceremony in which the Pope performed the beatification of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac. The reliquary is 55 cm high and weighs three kilograms. At the foot of the statue is the shape of a sacrificial altar. Its sides are covered with reliefs of the baptisimal font of Croatia's Duke Viseslav with the Croatian plait as well as sections portraying a replica of Our Lady and of the Holy Testament. Above the base of the reliquary, or rather the sacrificial altar, are two steeples which represent the Zagreb Cathedral. The reliquary contains a drawer which carries a Charter about the authenticity of Cardinal Stepinac's body inside: a piece of the Cardinal's right pointer. The relief is cast of silver symbolising the ties between the state and the Church in Croatia's history. It is the creation of Kuzma Kovacic in accordance with the wishes of the postulate for the cause of promoting Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac to beatification, Dr. Juraj Batelja. The reliquary is in honour of the great event for the entire Church amongst the Croats and the entire Croatian nation, the beatification of Cardinal Stepinac. It was granted to the Pope by eighteen year-old MarIjana Beno from Dubrovnik. As Dr. Batelja said, as a child Marijana survived child paralysis (polio) even though doctor's had said she would never recover. Her mother had made a vow to Cardinal Stepinac after which Marijana along with 26 other sick people, recovered. They are of the firm belief that this was due to the intercession of Stepinac. The Evangelistary is a liturgical book which contains all four Gospels including excerpts. It is unique due to its silver cover. The covers were hand carved by Venetian master Franco Antenori in the same manner as was done four centuries ago. It is similar to the Zagreb plenary dating back to the XI century which is kept in the Cathedral's treasury depicting Christ's life. The back cover portrays a Romanic cross. The original cross is also part of the Zagreb Cathedral's treasury. In the background is a text in the ancient Croatian glagolic script found in a missal dating back to 1483. The idea for the evangelistary was given by members of the Committee to Welcome the Pope, Reverend Mijo Gabric, Dr. Zvonimir Kurecic and Dr. Ivan Sasak. The significance of both gifts surmise the ties between proclaiming the Good News and Stepinac's testimony transformed into the everyday life of the faithful. (Hina) sp 031313 MET oct 98