The Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanic, celebrated Christmas mass in the Zagreb Cathedral on Friday, saying among other things that God loved humility and chose what man would not choose for himself.

This was the second mass in the cathedral after the March 22 earthquake and it was held under COVID measures, with a limited number of believers inside and outside.

Among those present were Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic, and Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Korzinek. Cardinal Bozanic greeted them, saying that their presence was a sign for the future.

Let’s look ahead together

“This time of the pandemic, this time after the earthquake calls on all of us to be together, to look ahead together, to look firstly at man’s well-being, the health of his soul and body, and for each of us to do, respecting each other’s competencies, what is possible for our present by looking to the future. We have that hope and we have the right to hope. Christmas calls on us to do so,” the archbishop said.

Christmas moves the whole world, while at the same time delivering and saving man, he added.

“Although it seems in the Christmas atmosphere that everything is still, Christmas is full of movement and calls for moving and looking to the future, not to stand in place, without prospects, but to try and look, from this situation, from this cathedral, to the future of Zagreb and Croatia.”

The cardinal prayed for all those who wanted to celebrate Christmas at mass but could not due to the COVID restrictions, for those ill, that God give them strength, for medical staff who, he said, care for so many patients, and for God to free people around the world from the coronavirus plague.

Bozanic said that in following the news on the pandemic, in direct and indirect knowledge of the troubles people faced, it was easy for doubt, insecurity, depression and questions to appear.

Due to external restrictions, people give up their plans more easily, sight becomes shorter and the future foggier, he added.

“It seems that the spirit of helplessness appears, as do various self-styled prophets of doom, threat and fear, but brothers and sisters, Christ has come, God has saved the world in his son and that is the foundation of our security,” Cardinal Bozanic said.

Christmas masses were held across the country, with dignitaries talking about the pandemic and wishing a merry Christmas in particular to COVID patients and the medical staff caring for them.