HVAR DIOCESE MARKS 850TH ANNIVERSARY

HVAR, Sept 14 (Hina) - The 850th anniversary of the establishment of an integral diocese of the Hvar, Brac and Vis islands was marked in Hvar (on the island of the same name) on Sunday. Attending the event were numerous church dignitaries and a special envoy of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, Croatian Vice Premier Jure Radic. A concelebration mass was served by an envoy of the Pope, Croatian cardinal Franjo Kuharic. Kuharic dedicated his sermon to, as he said, the greatest event in history, the Lord's descent on earth. The cardinal called for humility on the eve of entering Christ's third millennium. "The Church is free in relation to all authorities, since it is the bearer of the freedom of Jesus Christ", he said. Conveying President Tudjman's regards, his envoy Radic said "even at this big celebration, our eyes point towards Vukovar, where we must return all displaced persons, as well as towards neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina, also a country of the Croat people." "We must help displaced persons and refugees to return there as well", he said. "Those who are unable to return," Radic said, "because the world is unfair, must find safety and a home in their mother country, Croatia, as must all those exiled from Serbia, Kosovo (…)." "When we finish with priority tasks resulting from the devastation (caused during) the Homeland War," Radic said, "Croatia's first priority will be those islands devastated and deserted in the past." A telegram, signed by the Hvar-Brac-Vis bishop, Slobodan Stambuk, was sent to the Pope. (hina) ha mm 141751 MET sep 97