GUARANTEE LIBERTY AND DEMOCRACY IN ALL EUROPEAN NATIONS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 15, 2000 (VIS) - This morning, John Paul II received the Letters of Credence of Franjo Zenko, the new ambassador from the Republic of Croatia. In his address, the Pope recalled that the two visits he made to that country, in 1994 and 1998, had enabled him "to see at close range the spiritual strength of the Croatian people and the rich religious and cultural heritage they possess."

The Pope expressed the hope that the "pages of history, marked by unforgettable human and social tragedies, may help the countries of Europe to become ever more aware of the need to overcome together the tragic heritage of various totalitarian regimes, rendering Europe itself a common house, an area of effective solidarity permeated by the Gospel values that molded its history."

"Croatia," he went on, "is proceeding along the path of democracy. ... The progress of the last ten years is an encouragement to work towards an ever brighter future for the country."

The Holy Father emphasized that "all European nations, great and small, must be guaranteed liberty and democracy, with equal rights and duties. This is the road that leads to a future of stable peace and to an authentic development which will benefit not only Europe. Indeed, democracy must not be imposed or improvised; quite the contrary, it calls for education and support."

"Democracy," he continued, "requires that State structures be placed at the service of all citizens, not just of individual groups, and that a stable dialogue between all political and social tendencies be developed in a shared search for the common good, while maintaining respect for all and for each one."

John Paul II concluded by affirming that "it is vital to take the just and legitimate needs of families and young people into account, both in the socio-economic and the juridical-political spheres. It is necessary to protect the individual and human life at every stage, from conception to natural end. Families and young people justly aspire to be able to live and work honestly in order to build with trust a more serene future."

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