Pope Benedict XVI urged Croatia to honor and protect its Christian heritage as it approaches full membership in the European Union. The pope said Croatians could count on the church to support their efforts for political, economic and religious renewal 20 years after declaring independence from the former communist Yugoslavia. The pope made his remarks to Filip Vucak, who presented his credentials as the new Croatian ambassador to the Vatican April 11.
In encouraging Croatia on its path to European Union membership, the pope told Vucak that the country “must not be afraid to demand respect for its own history and its own religious and cultural identity.” The Croatian government is set to sign an accession treaty with the European Union this year and to have its citizens approve the membership in a national referendum. The pope has often criticized the failure of political leaders to include a formal recognition of the continent’s Christian roots in the union’s founding constitution. The pope said that it had become the fashion to “question with astounding regularity the reality of Europe’s religious roots.” He also said maintaining that European heritage is not based on Christianity “is like saying that man can live without oxygen or food.” Pope Benedict praised the care with which Croatian authorities have promoted the Christian culture of the country.
VATICAN CITY (CNS)