VATICAN CITY, 4 JUN 2011 (VIS) - At 9:30 this morning the Holy Father left Rome's Fiumicino Airport and, after a flight of an hour and a half, landed in Zagreb's Pleso International Airport, thus beginning his nineteenth international apostolic visit, the first he has made to Croatia.
The Pope was welcomed by Mr. Ivo Josipovic, president of the Republic of Croatia, Cardinal Josip Bozanic, archbishop of Zagreb, and Archbishop Marin Srakic, president of the Croatian Bishops' Conference.
During his greeting to President Josipovic, Benedict XVI recalled the three pastoral visits to Croatia made by Blessed John Paul II and thanked the Lord for "for the long history of faithfulness that links your country to the Holy See. For over thirteen centuries", he said, "those strong and special bonds have been put to the test and strengthened in circumstances that were sometimes difficult and painful. This history is an eloquent testimony to your people's love for the Gospel and the Church".
"From its earliest days", he continued, "your Nation has formed part of Europe, and has contributed, in its unique way, to the spiritual and moral values that for centuries have shaped the daily lives and the personal and national identity of Europe's sons and daughters. In the face of the challenges posed by today's culture - marked as it is by social differentiation and instability, and by an individualism that gives rise to a vision of life without obligations and a constant search for 'private space' - there is a need for convinced witness and active dynamism aimed at promoting the fundamental moral values that underpin social living and the identity of the Old Continent".
The Pope emphasized that, "twenty years after the declaration of independence and on the eve of Croatia's full integration into the European Union, this country's remote and recent history can stimulate reflection on the part of all the other peoples of the Continent, helping them, individually and collectively, to preserve and to inject new life into that priceless common heritage of human and Christian values. So may this beloved Nation, in the strength of its rich tradition, help to steer the European Union towards a fuller appreciation of those spiritual and cultural treasures".
Noting that he had come to celebrate the first National Day of Croatian Catholic Families, with the theme: "Together in Christ", the Holy Father hoped that "this important event will serve as an opportunity for proposing afresh the values of family life and the common good, for strengthening unity, renewing hope and leading people to communion with God, the foundation of fraternal sharing and social solidarity".
After the welcome ceremony, Benedict XVI travelled to the presidential palace for a courtesy visit to President Josipovic.
At 1:00pm, the Pope went to the apostolic nunciature in Zagreb where he received in audience Croatia's prime minister, Jadranka Kosor. At the end of the meeting the Holy Father had lunch with the members of his entourage.
PV-CROATIA/ VIS 20110604 (480)
The Pope was welcomed by Mr. Ivo Josipovic, president of the Republic of Croatia, Cardinal Josip Bozanic, archbishop of Zagreb, and Archbishop Marin Srakic, president of the Croatian Bishops' Conference.
During his greeting to President Josipovic, Benedict XVI recalled the three pastoral visits to Croatia made by Blessed John Paul II and thanked the Lord for "for the long history of faithfulness that links your country to the Holy See. For over thirteen centuries", he said, "those strong and special bonds have been put to the test and strengthened in circumstances that were sometimes difficult and painful. This history is an eloquent testimony to your people's love for the Gospel and the Church".
"From its earliest days", he continued, "your Nation has formed part of Europe, and has contributed, in its unique way, to the spiritual and moral values that for centuries have shaped the daily lives and the personal and national identity of Europe's sons and daughters. In the face of the challenges posed by today's culture - marked as it is by social differentiation and instability, and by an individualism that gives rise to a vision of life without obligations and a constant search for 'private space' - there is a need for convinced witness and active dynamism aimed at promoting the fundamental moral values that underpin social living and the identity of the Old Continent".
The Pope emphasized that, "twenty years after the declaration of independence and on the eve of Croatia's full integration into the European Union, this country's remote and recent history can stimulate reflection on the part of all the other peoples of the Continent, helping them, individually and collectively, to preserve and to inject new life into that priceless common heritage of human and Christian values. So may this beloved Nation, in the strength of its rich tradition, help to steer the European Union towards a fuller appreciation of those spiritual and cultural treasures".
Noting that he had come to celebrate the first National Day of Croatian Catholic Families, with the theme: "Together in Christ", the Holy Father hoped that "this important event will serve as an opportunity for proposing afresh the values of family life and the common good, for strengthening unity, renewing hope and leading people to communion with God, the foundation of fraternal sharing and social solidarity".
After the welcome ceremony, Benedict XVI travelled to the presidential palace for a courtesy visit to President Josipovic.
At 1:00pm, the Pope went to the apostolic nunciature in Zagreb where he received in audience Croatia's prime minister, Jadranka Kosor. At the end of the meeting the Holy Father had lunch with the members of his entourage.
PV-CROATIA/ VIS 20110604 (480)
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