Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, is traveling to Croatia to mark the nation’s Statehood Day.
At a May 28 Mass at San Girolamo dei Croati in Rome, Archbishop Gallagher encouraged Croatians to give thanks to God for the gift of freedom and peace. The prelate also said that “the labor of peace is a sacred duty and not merely the result of the generous initiative of men of good will.”
Croatia, a Southeast European nation of 4.2 million (map), is 95% Christian (87% Catholic) and 2% Muslim.