OSIJEK OSIJEK, June 7 (Hina) - Pope John Paul II landed at Klisa airport in eastern Croatia's Osijek around 9.45 a.m. on Saturday as part of his third pastoral visit to Croatia.
OSIJEK, June 7 (Hina) - Pope John Paul II landed at Klisa airport in
eastern Croatia's Osijek around 9.45 a.m. on Saturday as part of his
third pastoral visit to Croatia. #L#
Upon landing, the Holy Father was welcomed aboard a Croatia
Airlines plane by Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic, Foreign
Minister Tonino Picula, Osijek-Baranja County prefect Zdravko
Bosancic, Osijek mayor Zlatko Kramaric, and Djakovo-Srijem bishop
Marin Srakic.
Bosancic presented the pope with the county charter and a Baranja
gold coin, while Kramaric presented him with a medal with the image
of Our Lady of Osijek, a gift from the city and the local Franciscan
monastery.
At the Klisa airport the pope was greeted by the Osijek 1862.
cultural and performing society.
The Popemobile then drove the Holy Father to the sports airfield in
Cepin, where he was welcomed by some 150,000 faithful, including
from neighbouring countries.
Here the pope will celebrate Mass. It is expected he will deliver
ecumenical and ecological messages. The Mass will mark the end of
celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Zagreb metropolis, as
well as of the Second Djakovo-Srijem Synod, which bishop Srakic
convened five years ago.
Osijek and Djakovo are the third stop of the Holy Father's third
visit to Croatia, which began on Thursday.
(hina) ha