CROATIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES FRANCISCAN DELEGATES

ZAGREB, March 22 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Friday received a delegation from the Franciscan monastery at the Holy Virgin shrine at Trsat, overlooking the northern Adriatic port city of Rijeka. The delegation included guardian Serafin Sabol and the head of the Franciscan province of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Mirko Matausic, a statement from the President's Office said. The Franciscan delegates handed the President a reprint of the valuable prayer book "Soul's Paradise", which had been printed for the first time in the Italian city of Padua in 1560. This oldest Croatian prayer book has great linguistic importance because it was written in three Croatian dialects and it marked the beginning of Latin script in Croatia, Sabol said. The talks focused on the educational and social role of the Franciscans, particularly within post-war spiritual renewal in Croatia. Thanking the guests for the prayer book and congratulating them on the publishing of this important record of the Croatian language and Croatian piety, President Tudjman expressed full support for further work of Franciscan provinces and their integration into the social and education process of renewal. Also attending were Presidential Chief of Staff Ivo Sanader and Presidential Adviser Andjelko Mijatovic, the statement concluded. (hina) vm 221344 MET mar 96