CROATIA TO SIGN AGREEMENT WITH VATICAN ON FRIDAY

( Editorial: --> 6005 ) ZAGREB, Oct 5 (Hina) - Croatia and the Holy See will sign an economic agreement this Friday, State Commission for Relations with Religious Communities president Jure Radic told Croatian Radio on Monday. The agreement will consider two important fields. The first is Catholic Church property confiscated by the former Communist authorities, and the second the financing of Church public activities, Radic said. Regarding confiscated property, by the agreement the Church will accept a law passed by the Croatian National Parliament on the return of confiscated property, keeping in consideration that only a part of the property can be returned, while the other part will be, according to the law, compensated on a long-term basis or, otherwise, substituted. The second point is financing of the Church's public work, the humanitarian, educational and cultural aspects of it, which will not be financed from Church taxes as is the case in some other states, but the state will provide certain resources annually from the government budget, Radic said. He added that the agreement had not been signed during Pope John Paul II's visit to Croatia because the government had not wanted it to be included in the programme of his pastoral visit. It was agreed with the Vatican that the agreement be signed as soon as possible, after the Pope's visit to Croatia. (hina) lml /mbr 051904 MET oct 98