POPE VISIT PREPARATION COMMITTEES HAVE FINAL MEETING

ZAGREB, Sep 14, (Hina)- The State and Church Committees for organising the Pope's visit to Croatia, had their final meeting in Zagreb last night to thank all those involved in the preparations. The president of the State Committee, Jure Radic, also gave special thanks to the the people of Croatia, who he said deserved congratulations for making the Pope's visist a magnificent success. The Committees have proposed naming the Zagreb Hippodrome, the site of the Pope's open-air mass on Sunday, "The Pope John Paul II Park" as a gesture of thanks to the Pope for coming. But Radic said talks were still in progress on how a delegation of the committee could be received by the Pope in the Vatican to thank him. "We know that the Pope was excited when he left Croatia rejuvenated," Radic said, expressing a wish that the Pope's visit was fruitful for Croatia. "It will be fruitful if we continue to be united in our creation of full freedom for every part of Croatia." The president of the Church Committee, Marko Culej, said that other countries could just as magnificently receive the Pope, but nowhere near as open-heartedly as Croatia. (Hina) mm sd as 141105 MET sep 94