POPE WELCOMES BISHOPS OF CROATIA ON "AD LIMINA" VISIT

VATICAN CITY, MAR 13, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed the bishops of Croatia at the end of their "ad limina" visit, and in his speech to them in their language, highlighted the "Croatian people's 13 centuries of Christianity," as well as the need for a new evangelization.

He thanked the bishops "for the good you are doing in your dioceses," and urged them to continue building "the Kingdom of God in your land which, after especially difficult periods, is now seeing a new and promising religious springtime."

The Holy Father recalled that, during his 1998 pastoral visit to Croatia, he had entreated "the Croatian people to remain faithful to their Christian roots" and had also expressed the hope "'that Christians will know how to give a decisive thrust to the new evangelization'. ... Today I renew this impassioned exhortation: consider evangelization as an urgent pastoral priority!"

To evangelize effectively, the Pope said, "the Church in Croatia needs to strengthen the communion among the diverse elements which comprise it. ... Only in this way can it give everyone a great witness to unity in Christ and also be up to the task of facing both old and new challenges."

"Make it your priority," implored John Paul II, "to help every member of the faithful to answer the universal call to holiness."

He added that another urgent reason for the new evangelization "is the preparation of the approaching Great Jubilee of the year 2000. ... We must discover new paths and seek new possibilities of preaching the Gospel message and of Christian witnessing."

Telling the bishops that they "are called to be teachers in the faith, heralds of hope and witnesses in charity," the Pope highlighted their duties to foster vocations and to make "the seminary and, in general, places of formation, the 'apple of your eye'."

He underlined to need to "strengthen the religious meaning of life, helping Christian families to be milieux and schools where the perennial human and Gospel values are practiced and transmitted."

The Holy Father asked the prelates to be close to candidates to the priesthood and to "show fraternal concern for priests, ... who are not functionaries acting in the Church's name, but servants and proclaimers of the Gospel." He also spoke of the Church's "particular esteem for the vocation and work of consecrated people, ... whose charisms are given not only for personal sanctification (but) for the growth and mission of the Church."

"We have facing us at the end of this century," Pope John Paul remarked, "the material and moral damage caused by so many ideologies; in this last decade we have witnessed the fall of long and oppressive dictatorships. Even your country, having experienced a period of trial, now enjoys a time of peace and freedom. It is however necessary to remain vigilant so that the path of just freedom in the respect for all human rights is followed. ... There is need for a spirit of charity, great patience and wise farsightedness. Only in this way will the small plants of freedom and democracy become robust trees."

Constructive dialogue and charity must prevail over destructive criticism, he said in concluding remarks. "The Church and the political community, in their respective spheres, are independent, but both are at the service of mankind."

AL;...;...;CROATIA;VIS;19990315;Word: 550;