"I am coming with great joy to you as a pilgrim in the name of Jesus Christ," the pontiff said in his speech.
"I greet the beloved Croatian land and its citizens," he said in the Croatian language after President Ivo Josipovic delivered a welcome speech.
"I am extending kind greetings to You, Mr. President of the Republic of Croatia and other civilian and military authorities who have gathered here," the Holy Father said.
In the continuation of his speech which he delivered in the Italian language, the pontiff extended special greetings to the Catholic community: bishops, priests, nuns, the faithful and notably the families in this country. He thanked President Josipovic on the cordial welcome speech and said he wished him success in performing his duty as well as peace and progress to the entire country.
On this occasion Pope Benedict recalled the three pastoral visits of his predecessor, Blessed Pope John Paul II, and thanked the Lord for long history of fidelity of Croatia to the Holy See.
We have more than 13 centuries of strong and special ties, tested and fortified in sometimes difficult and traumatic circumstances. This history is proof of the love your people have towards the Gospel and the Church, he said.
Since the very beginnings, your people has belonged to Europe and the Croatian people is giving its contribution to Europe in a specific way through spiritual and moral values which have modelled your everyday life and your national identity through centuries, he said in the speech upon his arrival at the Zagreb airport.
The challenges of the contemporary culture, imbued with the social disintegration and instability and marked with individualism in search for privacy, require the testifying and advocating for the promotion of fundamental moral values, rooted in the social life and identity of the Old Continent, he said
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Croatia's independence and ahead of the country's admission to the European Union, your old and recent past can make all European peoples think about preserving and reviving the joint heritage of human and Christian values.
Let this beloved nation contribute, through the power of its rich heritage, to the assessment of the European Union of that spiritual and cultural heritage, he said.
With the motto "Together in Christ". I am coming to you to celebrate the First National Day of Croatian Catholic Families. Let this important event be an occasion to highlight the values of the family life and common weal and our unity with God, he said.
Facing the present-day challenges for the Church and the civil society, I invoke the help of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, whom your people love and respect, he said, thanking those who participated in the organisation of his journey to Croatia.