ZAGREB ARCHBISHOP RELEASES EASTER MESSAGE

( Editorial: --> 6265 ) ZAGREB, April 12 (Hina) - The Archbishop of Zagreb and President of the Croatian Bishops' Conference, Josip Bozanic, on Saturday relayed his Easter message via television to all believers in Croatia and abroad. "Easter is a holiday of hope, because in the resurrection of the Lord death was conquered," Bozanic said adding "Jesus' grave, which is miraculously empty, becomes a symbol of our life which is inexplicably transient". "Humanity is dividing into those who fail to transcend the "empty grave" and invariably turn towards scepticism and hopelessness and those who transcend it and with faith give themselves to the One who can give us an everlasting life and joy without deception". Archbishop Bozanic also spoke of "the many human reasons which work against hope", adding that those were "our inconsistency, violation of morality, unemployment". "Man cannot but feel the burden of so many sorrows, pains, life insecurities, of the state of being threatened. With Easter hope we want to work to the benefit of human life, reconciliation and forgiveness, justice and honesty, protection against exploitation, the right to work and employment, and to the benefit of a deserved salary and pension", Bozanic said in his Easter message, which was carried by the Catholic information agency IKA. (hina) rm 121105 MET apr 98