Pope to Visit Croatia?

Premier Sanader has an official audience with the Pope, during which he will invite him to visit Croatia.

Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader has an official audience with the Pope on January 17, during which he will invite the Holy Father to an official visit to Croatia.

The prime minister visited Pope Benedict XVI once before, but together with the prime ministers of the European People’s Party, so this will be Sanader’s first official audience. The prime minister will be accompanied by his wife, a government vice-president, Jadranka Kosor, and representatives of Homeland War Soldiers’ associations, writes the Jutarnji list daily.

Croatian bishops invited the Pope to Croatia once before, but protocol rules demand two invitations, from state and church.

Benedict XVI could accept the invitation because Croatia represents a bridge towards Orthodox Catholicism for Vatican.

The Serb Orthodox church hopes the Pope will visit Belgrade and Kosovo as well, because they expect the Holy Father to help solve the Kosovo issue.