Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in the Croatian capital Zagreb at the beginning of a two day visit to the country—the Holy Father’s 19th foreign visit.
In his arrival speech, the Pope denounced the individualism taking hold in Europe. “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 said.
The Pope is expected to focus on the importance of the family during his weekend visit, the full program for which can be found here.
In his customary press conference with journalists on the the papal plane, the Pope gave strong backing to Croatia’s bid to join the European Union. The Balkan country is to find out later this month if years of negotiations to join the EU have been successful. Benedict XVI has long been a supporter of Croatia’s entry into the economic and political bloc. The Holy See is counting on Croatia, once it is an EU member, to emphasize Europe’s Christian roots in the face of the continent’s creeping secularism.
Below is the full text of Benedict XVI’s discourse at the welcoming ceremony at Zagreb’s international Pleso Airport, Croatia, at the start of his apostolic journey to the country.
Mr President,
Dear Brother Bishops,
Distinguished Authorities,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It gives me great joy to come among you as a pilgrim in the name of Jesus Christ. I offer my most cordial greetings to the beloved land of Croatia, and as Saint Peter’s Successor I warmly embrace all its inhabitants. In particular, I greet the Catholic community: the Bishops, priests, men and women religious, and the lay faithful, especially the families of this land where the preaching of the Gospel has borne fruit, bringing hope of life and salvation for all. I extend a respectful greeting to you, Mr President, and to the other civil and military Authorities gathered here. I thank you, Mr President, for the kind words you have addressed to me and I offer you my best wishes for the high office entrusted to you, and for the peace and prosperity of the whole Nation.
At this time, my thoughts go back to the three pastoral visits to Croatia made by my beloved predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, and I thank the Lord for the long history of faithfulness that links your country to the Holy See. For over thirteen centuries, 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, 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. 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.Dear Brothers and Sisters, with the motto “Together in Christ”, I have come to join you in celebrating the First National Day of Croatian Catholic Families. May this important event 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. In anticipation, I sincerely thank all those who have helped with the preparation and organization of my visit. In view of the challenges confronting the Church and civil society today, I invoke upon this land and all its inhabitants the intercession and assistance of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, the beloved and venerable Shepherd of your people. May he accompany the young generations as they strive to live by that charity which prompted the Lord Jesus Christ to give his life for all people. May Saint Joseph, watchful guardian of the Redeemer and heavenly Patron of your Nation, together with the Virgin Mary, “Fidelissima Advocata Croatiae”, obtain for you peace and salvation, today and always. Thank you!
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Prayers for a safe and successful journey.
We love you our holiness ;)
May your presence among the Croatians bring them a deeper understanding of family values, Holy Father. God bless you for always spreading the Gospel wherever you go.
www.viewcatholic.blogspot.com
May Your Holiness be constantly protected and blest by Our Risen Lord and His Immaculate Mother Mary during your visit to Croatia. May your visit be fruitful, increase and bring others into the fold of Holy Mother Church.
VIVA IL PAPA!
Your Faithful Servant,
Mark. (San Mateo, CA, USA)
Only place in Croatia we have visited was Dubrovnek on the Dalmatian coast. Very nice and enjoyable. After traveling around using Euro it was
a surprise to use the local currency. Visa helped and they did take Euros anyway. Hope all goes well for the country in the future.
I’ll pray for the country of Croatia. I pray that secularism will take a decline in this country. In fact I pray that it will take a decline in many European countries.
Hmmmm, the Pope had this to say about ” ... individualism that gives rise to a vision of life without obligations ...” in Croatia. That’s interesting: I didn’t know the brothers Koch and the GOP were recruiting in Croatia. Let’s hope PB schedules a visit to the US between now and the first tuesday in Nov. ‘12. OUR country also needs to hear more of this (genuine) wisdom, particularly a certain Virginian whose idea of people coming together is finding ways to gore somebody else’s ox in order to make the people needing national financial help for tornadoes in Missouri, Alabama and western Massachusetts won’t be made to feel like scapegoats for merely asking for what they’ve already paid for in taxes.
Two innacuracies about Croatia.
Croatia is not Eastern European country ( look at map . It is Central European Cou8ntry or South European Country.
Croatia is not Balkan Country, not geographically not by mentality.
Pope is coming to preside the first time at national family event.
One reason for that are very serious positive family trends in Croatia in last 15 years.
I enclose a report on situation i9n Croatia which I prepared for Board meeting of FAFCE (Europesn association of Catholic Families).
FAFCE Board meeting, Budapest, 28-28., March, 2011.
Marijo Zivkovic representative of CRO-BIOS, federation of Croatian Family associations.
Report from Croatia
Introduction
Croatia is 4 and half million european Country. More then 80 % inhabitants declare as Catholics. During Second World War and after, atheistic Serbs (followers of Karadjordjevics) and communists killed hundreds of priests, nuns and catholic activists.
In Bosnia, encircled by Croatia whose part was before Turks occupation, they killed in some diocezes more then 70 % of priests. They were also massacrin muslims who declared themselves as Croats. During agression on Croatia from 1991. to 1995. by atheistic-communist Serbs and Montenegroans they occupied 30 % of Croatian territoty and in all that area destroyed all Catholic Churches and many graveyards. During that war decisive defending role was done by convinced Catholics, so Croatian soldiers generaly carried rosaries around neck or on uniform.
Through widespread educational pro family work sistematicly done during relative freedom of action since 1966. and much more during freedom of communism 1990., the family situation in Croatia changed for better in many aspects. One caracteristic of that educational work was successful efforts to argue for family values not only by religious arguments, but also by non religiously sounding arguments as justice, honesty, true love, quality of life, joy in life, constructivity, creativity, human dignity, value and importance of every human person, scientific informations, specially about humanity of unborn child from conception, developing clear vocabulary etc.
Results are for some time statisticaly visible.
Results
1. Number of registered abortions is gradually reduced from over 40.000 yearly during communist time to about 4.500 yearly in last several years.
2. In same time number of families with three or more children is increasing, so in last 15 years Croatia is only european country in which number of families with three or more children is increasing while in other countries as Poland, Ireland, Slovakia and others is declining.
3. In Croatia about 10 % of children is born outside marriage, in Poland about 17 %, Slovakia 24 %, Ireland about 30 %, naibourghin Slovenia 40 %.
4. In year 2009, from all woman who gave birth to a child, more then 85 % never before had artificial abortion.
5. Smol percentage of woma use hormonal contraception, so promotors of contraceptions complain publkicly in Croatian anti family press that only 11 % of woman in Croatia use contraception.
6. In Croatia since 1986. only about 900 paople are known to be infected by AIDS. From them about 45 % homosexuals.
7. Due to sistematic work of pro family organisations a use or promotiuon of condom is in same time very limited. We use WHO statements which say that „proper use of condoms“ diminish risk of getting STD including AIDS and explain that this statement in reality means that at each sexual contact with use of condom there is real risk of being infected by deadly illness as AIDS is.
8. Due to educational efforts practice of IVF is reduced.
9. At demand of Ministry of education in year 2005. for proposals of sex education programs for elementary and high schools, a NGO GROZD member of CRO-BIOS gathered experts who proposed sex and whole health education programm. Program they made is based on ethical values and family oriented. Program had no religious arguments, but is so great quality that is publicly endorsed by Catholic church, Serbian ortodox church, Muslim community and several protestant churches. Program was experimentaly introduced to ten high schools, where parents could choose between our program and ethical and family indifferent sex education program. After 88 % of parents had choose our program, the Ministry of education canceled all programs and did not introduce them in schools.
We are now in process of trying to reintroduce such program in all Croatian schools. I am very sorry that our expoerts did not participate at last Bruxelles meeting of FAFCE which discussed sex education.
10. In three other points all mentioned churches and religious
comminities published common statements regarding family issues, what I think is unique accomplishment in any country. For example during debate on IVF, in year 2004. all mentioned churches and rel.comm issued a statement „Human Life is Gift of God“ in which they declared themselves for legal and other protection of human life from conception to natural death. I give You at disposal text of that statement.
11. In Croatia in last 30 years about 75 % of married souples stay whole
Life in first marriage. Unfortunately we do not have statistics what part of divorced couples married in church and what part had only civil marriage. From divorced couples about 38 % are without children ( about 23 % of all couples are childless ), about same percent have one child ( from all couples who have children about 15 % have one child ), and only about 25 % of divorced have two or more children, while about 85 % of couples who have children have at least two children.
12. Public and aloud promotion of homosexuality with great help of media which started in year 2002. was met by intelligent widespread educational efforts what resulted in substantial development of efforts against homosexual behaviour. Result of such educational efforts are so visible thet in last year or so promotors of homosexuality in Croatia state thet so called homophobia – their word for negative positions about homosexuality, is growing in Croatia.
13. Holy Father comes on June 4th to June 5th to preside at Meeting of Croatian Catholic Families on June 5th. Bishop responsible for family in BC of Croatia Mons Valter Zupan invites families from other countries to attend. It is expected that families from other countries will have their alloted place during Holy Mass and would be able to announce their presence with small national flags.
Importance of non religious arguments
Development and use of non religious arguments for our ethical and family positions are in my opinion very important. They are not important only for non religious people, but also for religious people too. In first place because a substantial mpart of people who declare as Catholics are more culturaly Catholics then personaly convinced that they are personally immortal and that Jesus is alive today and have personal contact with Him in prayer. Other reason is that we help Catholics to have convincing arguments for Catholic positions in education of their children and contacts with questioning people of other religions or without religion.
We succeded to develope convincing non religious arguments for most delicate positions of Catholic Church. I just mention three of them: indissolubility of true marriage, respect of existence of a child in first few days after inseparable unification of little important parts of father and mather bodies and contraception. For these three positions we developed convincing and non refutable non religious arguments as for all other our positions.
I brought two texts which illustrate development of such arguments one is titled „Promotion of our ethical positions in seculat and multicultural society“ and other „Family and homosexual behaviour“.
Some difficulties we encounter
Great part of national media is negative regarding ethical family values.
Government officials are in words for family values but often act against, as in case with pro family sex educations, in case of law regarding IVF, law on discrimination, law about same sex communities etc.
Anti family NGO heavily financed by EU, EC and Soros Foundation Open Society with support of media promote anti family attitudes. Soros Foundation which by their own statements finance their work in Croatia since year 1992. with about four million dollars yearly, publicly and in writing ask for limitation of influence of Catholic Church in Croatia. They ask for limitation of influence of Catholic Church in area of abortion, contraception, IVF, sex education and promotion of homosexuality – all areas of family.
A priest age 37 Zlatko Sudac for several years have stigmata as Father Pio. He consistently adress very clearly family issues, including parenthood, abortion, contraception marital fidelity etc, has influence on part of public figures and many others. He is consistently misinterpreted, attacked and ridiculed in part of media.
Recently homosexual and lezbian NGO accused a catholic cathecist at court in Zagreb for negative statement about homosexual behaviour. At court a public protest against Christianophobia was organised by NGO member of CRO_BIOS with clear and intelligently worded messages. The first such public protest.
I hope the Holy Father had a memorable visit to the rampart of Christendom!
Last year I visited the Dalmatian coast on a group tour. Dubrovnik was our first stop. Not for nothing it’s the pearl of the Adriatic! St. Blaise is the town’s patron saint and a major celebration is held on his feast day. Succeeding towns we visited were as beautiful and equally rich in history. The churches are worth the visit too!
By papal approval dating from medieval times, Croatia was the 1st country to be allowed to celebrate Mass in their native tongue.
If you can get out to Croatia or any of its neighbors, do so! There’s much to see and explore.
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Thank you to Mr. Pentin for his intelligent and sensitive coverage of the Vatican for NCRegiser. Keep up the excellent work!
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