“We would be extremely pleased if Leo XIV visited Croatia, which would further strengthen the centuries-old connection between the Catholic Church and the Croatian people,” said Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Friday after talks with the pope.
Pope Leo XIV received Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, his family and delegation, in an audience on Friday, and the desire for relations between Croatia and the Holy See to continue to improve during his pontificate was emphasized in the talks.
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“We discussed primarily the relations between Croatia and the Holy See, the centuries-old connection, the role of the Catholic Church for Croatian identity, our tradition and faith for everything that the Croatian people have maintained for centuries, and, of course, we wished that these relations would continue to be improved during his pontificate,” Plenković said in a statement to reporters after the meeting.
He said that the excellent relations between Croatia and the Holy See were confirmed, as was the continuation of regular dialogue between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Catholic Church on all important issues for the Catholic Church.
He also took the opportunity to extend another invitation to him to visit Croatia. “We would be extremely pleased if Pope Leo XIV visited Croatia, which would further strengthen the centuries-old connection between the Catholic Church and the Croatian people.”
Pope Francis has not visited Croatia during his pontificate. The last head of the Roman Catholic Church to visit Croatia was Benedict XVI 14 years ago.
Stepinac is already a saint for Croats
The Prime Minister said that it was an exceptional honor for him to meet with the Holy Father in the Vatican, to whom he brought a valuable monograph “Incunabula Croatica” as a gift so that he could better become acquainted with Croatian culture, literacy and tradition.
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It contains 96 Croatian incunabula in 180 copies, identified in 40 institutions across Croatia. It is a major publishing undertaking by the National University Library, which makes a valuable contribution to the study of incunabula and the history of the Croatian book.
“I think it is an appropriate gift that will be a modest but valuable contribution from the Croatian side, within the framework of everything that is arriving here from all parts of the world.”
The lion presented him with the bronze Trinity.
When asked by reporters whether Stepinac was mentioned, the Prime Minister replied: “As far as Croats, the Croatian people, are concerned, he is practically already a saint, and as far as the procedure itself is concerned, we believe that this is a matter for the Church.”
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Global challenges
The Prime Minister and the Pope also discussed global challenges that require a firm commitment to peace, democratic values, solidarity and respect for international law. They stressed the importance of ending the war in Ukraine as soon as possible and achieving a lasting and just peace, and advocated for the stabilization of the situation in the Middle East.
Lac XIV. offers its services in efforts to end the war in Ukraine, namely the services of influential Vatican diplomacy in order to create the preconditions for a ceasefire and then for a lasting and peaceful peace, said Plenković.
The conversation also touched on the Pope’s first pastoral trip to Turkey and Lebanon. His message of peace, cooperation and dialogue is very welcome in the context of broader efforts to stabilize the situation in the Middle East, especially after the war between Israel and Hamas and the situation in Gaza, the Prime Minister said.
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Plenković also emphasized the need to provide support to neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which Croats are one of the three constituent nations, and advocated for an equal position for Croats, especially ahead of the elections in the fall of 2026.
The Prime Minister will visit the Croatian Church of St. Jerome and the Pontifical Croatian Institute of St. Jerome tonight. On that occasion, a mass will be celebrated in the Croatian language, led by Monsignor Petar Rajič, Apostolic Nuncio to Italy and San Marino.
After the mass, Plenković will meet with the Croatian community in Rome.
Photo: HINA/
