POPE HEADS CELEBRATION OF EUCHARIST AT MARIJA BISTRICA

( Editorial: --> 5331 ) MARIJA BISTRICA, Oct 3 (Hina) - Pope John Paul II, the pilgrim of peace and the highest moral authority of today's world today led the Celebration of the Eucharist and proclaimed the Servant of God, Alojzije Stepinac blessed at the Croatian national Marian shrine at Marija Bistrica. The Pope celebrated Holy Mass before a crowd of over 500,000 faithful - pilgrims from all corners of Croatia and neighbouring countries and the world. The Holy Father arrived at the shrine at Bistrica in the Popemobile a little after 10 am. After arriving, the Popemobile conducted a brief tour through the multitude who greeted him joyfully. In the Popemobile the Pope was accompanied by his host, Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic and the Holy Father's personal secretary Tadeusz Dziwiz. The Pope then proceeded to the "open church" in front of the Marian shrine. This section was dominated by an appropriately decorated altar at which the Holy Father celebrated Holy Mass. To the right of the altar was the statue of Our Lady of Bistrica. The statue was placed at the altar following a vigil on Friday night. The statue of Our Lady with the Child Jesus was created at the beginning of the 15th century and was originally located in a way side chapel not far from the parish church. In fear of Turkish invasions, the statue was on two occasions bricked up in a vault in the parish church. In 1684 it was uncovered and since then has been a continual figure of homage to Our Lady of Bistrica which became the national shrine for Croats. To the right of the altar was a huge Josip Biffel painting of Cardinal Stepinac awaiting the beatification of the Cardinal and the official unveiling of the painting. Immediately following the Holy Father to the altar were Archbishop Bozanic, retired Zagreb Archbishop Cardinal Franjo Kuharic and Cardinal Vinko Puljic (Primate of the Catholic Church in Bosnia- Herzegovina). At the beginning of the Mass, the supreme head of the Catholic Church greeted Zagreb Archbishop Bozanic thanking him for his second visit to Croatia. "We thank you because during your second apostolic visit, you are linking two great centres of Croatian Church and state history - Zagreb and Split, thereby pointing out the need and goal of Church unity and state unity. Thank you, Holy Father, especially for this great gift, our newly beatified model whose legacy compels us to be faithful to the Catholic Church unto the grave. You have come here to perform the beatification of our Servant of God, an act of your supreme apostolic authority, on precisely October 3, the date when the innocent Alojzije Stepinac presented his famous testimony before the communist court in 1946", said Bozanic. In conclusion he thanked the Holy Father for this significant visit to the Church amongst Croats. Pope John Paul II said that he had come to the Marija Bistrica shrine where Croats have since ancient times come to forward their prayers to God. He then called upon the faithful gathered to prayer. After these introductory words, the most solemn section of the day's celebration commenced - the beatification rite. At that moment Archbishop Bozanic and postulator for the Cause of Stepinac to the Beati, Dr. Juraj Batelja addressed the Pope with their plea to commence the beatification rite. Archbishop Bozanic presented a brief biography of Cardinal Stepinac after which the Holy Father uttered the formula of beatification. He highlighted that he was complying with the wish of Zagreb Archbishop Bozanic as well as numerous other brothers in the Episcopacy and faithful. After considering the opinion of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, and by apostolic authority he gave permission that the venerable Servant of God, Alojzije Stepinac, from that moment forth be called blessed and that his memorial day be celebrated every year on the day of his birth in heaven, February 10, in places and in the way established by Cannon law. Upon the declaration of the beatification the painting of the Cardinal was officially unveiled. As of today, this will be the Cardinal's official picture. The faithful then proceeded in a procession to present the Holy Father with special gifts prepared for the occasion. Pope John Paul II was presented with a reliquary cast in silver. The reliquary which stood 55 cm high at its base portrayed a sacrificial altar and the sides portrayed reliefs depicting motives from Croatia's sacral history. Above the sacrificial altar are two steeples representing the Zagreb Cathedral. IN side a drawer in the monument is a Charter about the authenticity of Cardinal Stepinac's relics contained within. The other most significant gift prepared for the Holy Father was an evangelistary whose covers were hand carved by Venetian master Franco Antenori just as was done four centuries ago. The covers portrayed Croatian motives; Duke Viseslav's baptismal font and the Croatian plait, always prevalent in Croatian symbolism. Archbishop Bozanic thanked the Holy Father on his own behalf and on behalf of the entire Croatian nation in God for this solemn act of proclaiming this venerable servant as blessed. Today's Gospel was first read and then sung according to the ancient Croatian tradition. After the reading of the Gospel Pope John Paul II addressed the multitude with his sermon. Amongst other things the Holy Father said that today's beatification is for all of us, a particular cause for comfort. This solemn act takes place in the Croatian national shrine of Marija Bistrica under the gaze of the Most Blessed Virgin and raises to the glory of the altars an illustrious son of this blessed land on the hundredth anniversary of his birth in heaven. This is an historic moment in the life of the Church and of your nation.. The Cardinal Archbishop of Zagreb, one of the outstanding figures of the Catholic Church, having endured in his own body and his own spirit the atrocities of the Communist system, is now entrusted in the memory of his fellow countrymen with the radiant badge of martyrdom. The person of the new Beatus sums up, so to speak the whole tragedy which befell the Croatian people and Europe in the course of this century marked by the three great evils of fascism, national socialism and communism. He is now in the joy of Heaven, surrounded by all those who, like him, fought the good fight, purifying their faith in the crucible of suffering. Today we look at him with trust and invoke his intercession. Blessed Alozije Stepinac did not shed his blood in the strict sense of the word. His death was caused by the long suffering he endured during the last 15 years of his life which were a continual succession of trials, amid which he courageously endangered his own life in order to bear witness to the Gospel and the unity of the Church", said Pope John Paul II. In his homily, the Pope cordially greeted the Croatian Bishops assembled, especially Cardinal Kuharic and Zagreb Archbishop Bozanic, cardinals, archbishops and bishops from all countries around the world. With special respects, he greeted Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and other government officials. The Eucharist ceremony ended with the Popes blessing and the a hymn so dear to all Croats, "Heavenly Virgin, Queen of Croats". The Holy Father then heartily greeted "all Croats from the homeland and abroad gathered at the Marian shrine to share the joy of the beatification of Blessed Cardinal Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac, who at a difficult time in history was a sure leader for all Catholics in these regions and a defender of the oppressed". "Pilgrims from Bosnia-Herzegovina here today are numerous in number and who have been escorted by their bishops and priests. I invoke my apostolic blessing upon you all" said Pope John Paul II. He then greeted the multitude in Slovenian, Italian, Hungarian, German and Polish. The crowd then sang the Croatian national anthem and the Pope then greeted representatives of other faiths in Zagreb and Croatia. The final act by the Pope was to bless items brought there today by the faithful, rosaries, missals, foundation stones for at least 15 future churches and chapels. On his way away from the altar, Pope John Paul II shook hands with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman. Today's solemn ceremony was exalted with the presence of hundreds of cardinals, archbishops and bishops and over one thousand priests. Today's hymns were led by the a collection of Zagreb choirs and the Croatian Military Band. A great river of the faithful slowly started to make their way out of the "open church" a little after 1 pm. and to leave the Marija Bistrica Marian shrine. (Hina) sp 031727 MET oct 98