POPE CELEBRATES EUCHARIST IN MARIJA BISTRICA

( Editorial: --> 5261 ) MARIJA BISTRICA, Oct 3 (Hina) - Pope John Paul II shortly after 10am on Saturday began a Eucharist celebration in Marija Bistrica, Croatia's premier Marian shrine. The celebration gathers almost 500,000 faithful from all over Croatia. In attendance are more than 1,000 priests, including 100 bishops, archbishops and cardinals, as well as several thousand nuns of all orders. The Pope and the priests wear crimson chasubles and collars, the colour of martyrdom, all in memory of late Croatian cardinal Alojzije Stepinac whom today the Pope will beatify. The Pope's walk to central altar of the Church In The Open, in the company of Archbishop of Zagreb Josip Bozanic, was greeted by the faithful's long applause and hymn-singing. Present at the Eucharist is also Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and his wife Ankica, representatives of the diplomatic-consular corps, of other religions in Croatia, other high-ranking Croatian church and state officials, public and cultural dignitaries, and Vatican officials. Archbishop Bozanic thanked the Holy Father for connecting during his second visit to Croatia two great Croatian centres of church and state history, Zagreb and Split, thus marking the necessity and task of both church and state unity. The Archbishop of Zagreb also thanked the Pope for the impeding beatification of Cardinal Stepinac. The field in front of the altar is dominated by the motto of the Pope's visit to Croatia "You Will Be My Witnesses" and the motto of Cardinal Stepinac "In Thee O Lord I Place My Faith". The altar is decorated with flowers in white and yellow, papal colours. (hina) ha/sp 031130 MET oct 98