Papal travels.

Zagreb--There is always a new experience while going round the world, even for a well-travelled Pope! On June 5, 2003, John Paul II made his first trip in a catamaran which he boarded in Croatia to cross the strait separating the island of Krk from the mainland port of Rijeka. The Holy Father was making his third trip to the Balkan nation and the 100th trip outside Italy his pontificate.

In the course of this trip, he travelled each day by plane to one of the five key Croatian cities of his itinerary, returning every night to his "home base" at the seminary of Rijeka. Thousands of pilgrims travelled from Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Herzegovina to attend the various ceremonies. A highlight of the trip was in Dubrovnik where Sister Maria Petkovic, foundress of the Franciscan Congregation of the Daughters of Mercy (described by the Pope as a "model of evangelical fidelity"), was beatified.

Croatia, now independent for 13 years, suffered grievously under the communists and also during the wars of the 1990s. 80% of its 4.5 million inhabitants are Catholics. In his welcome speech, the Holy Father said he wished to "honour the ancient Christian roots of this land steeped in the blood of countless martyrs." He urged Croatia's religious and political leaders to persistence in order to "heal the wounds caused by a cruel war and [to rectify] the consequences of a totalitarian system." He also expressed his support of Croatia's aspiration to join the European Union.

Zenit news agency, on the occasion of this hundredth trip, interviewed Bishop Piero Marini, master of papal ceremonies, and the man behind the elaborate arrangements required to facilitate such journeys. Asked why this Pope travelled so much, Bishop Marini stated that the Mass was at the heart of every trip made--"otherwise its civil aspect would predominate. When it is presided over by the Bishop of Rome, the universality of the Church becomes visible."

Bishop Marini noted that elements of local culture had entered numerous papal celebrations "without altering the rite;" it is important not to fall into mere folklore. Much thought also has to go into the choice of venues for papal masses; the bishop's choice was city squares, followed by stadiums, in which a feeling of community could be produced. He emphasized that John Paul views foreign trips as one of the more important parts of his ministry, a continual confirming of his brethren in the faith.

There is one additional note. Neither on this five-day trip nor on his previous two visits to Croatia did the Pope visit Medjugorje, the town of the alleged daily or weekly appearances of Our Lady since 1982. While the bishops of the area have pledged to provide pastoral care for the many visitors who come here, they have also ruled that so far they have found no evidence of supernatural occurrences.