From Vatican Radio:

Home > Church >  28/05/2011 12.48.13


Fr Lombardi: Pope's Return to Croatia



"Benedict XVI will be visiting Croatia on June 4^th and 5th. It’s a return visit because he went to Croatia several times as a cardinal. It’s a return visit because Croatia has been visited by a Pope as many as three times in the last twenty years. We could say that the Pope feels at home in Croatia. It’s a country with deep Christian and Catholic roots, roots it has preserved with loyalty in difficult times - those of the past century in particular. This loyalty has been repaid by the closeness and solidarity of the Holy See.
Today, Croatia faces the challenge of secularisation: the family and youth are crucial challenges it has to deal with. That’s why the central events of the Pope’s trip are his participation in the meeting with Croatian Catholic Families, and with young people. “Together in Christ” is the motto of the visit. In a world where new forms of communication continue to multiply and affect our lives, authentic encounters and shared communion among people appear to be ever more difficult.
The Church relies on Christ to support the unity and mission of the family and to fuel hope for the future of young people. This is how it serves the human community in general, and the national community of Croatia which, having survived the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, is now preparing to join the European community of nations more deeply by entering the European Union. The Pope hopes this can happen with the contribution of the culture and values that are part of Croatia’s great tradition. Important figures continue to act as sources of inspiration: people like Jesuit scientist Ruggero Boscovich, or Blessed Ivan Merz, and the great pastor and martyr, Blessed Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac. Together in Christ, and with the Pope, we must look to the future with faith and courage."

via oecumene.radiovaticana.org

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