Pope on weekend visit to Croatia to celebrate family
(June 03, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI is beginning his 19th foreign pastoral voyage with
a 2-day visits to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, where nearly 90% of the 4.4 million
population is Catholic. The occasion of the June 4-5 visit is to join in Croatia’s
National Family Day. A sub-theme of this visit is the Christian roots of Europe.
After his arrival at Zagreb’s international airport at 11 am on Saturday, the Pope
will meet President Ivo Josipovic and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor. Later in the
evening, he will address a gathering of civil leaders, academics, cultural figures,
businessmen as well as diplomats and religious leaders. Saturday night, Pope Benedict
will join Croatia’s young people in a prayer vigil. The following morning, Sunday,
the National Family Day, the Holy Father will celebrate Mass at Zagreb’s racecourse.
Sunday evening he will lead the Vespers for bishops, priests, religious and seminarians
at the tomb of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac a former archbishop of Zagreb who was martyred
in 1960. Following a meeting with Zagreb archbishop Cardinal Josip Bozanic, he will
fly back to Rome.