- Published: 05.01.2023.
Ministers Grlić Radman, Obuljen Koržinek attend funeral for Pope Benedict XVI
In a press statement after the ceremony, the minister said that Pope Benedict XVI had been a great friend of the Croats and Croatia, as proven by his visit in 2011, when he stated that Croats contributed to Europe with their spiritual and moral values, highlighting the 13-century-long ties between Croatia and the Holy See.
“He will be remembered as a humble priest, an outstanding theologian and a pope that has pushed for the renewal of Christian unity, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, as well as for the revitalization of the traditional values of ecclesiastic and social doctrine,” Grlić Radman said. The minister said that the pope’s theological thoughts post-Second Vatican Council had been simple and precise, bringing in a new understanding and views of the future. “He tackled reforms, maintained interreligious dialogue on an impressive level and reintroduced the values on which the Europe of today is founded. Pope Benedict XVI will always have a place in the Croatian history as the pope of our friend Bavaria, who took the Church into the 21st century and made a great pledge for the future,” Grlić Radman underscored.