Church leaders have welcomed the accession of predominantly Catholic
Croatia to the European Union, 22 years after it gained independence
from Yugoslavia."We are not just waiting for something from Europe - we are also preparing to change attitudes," said Archbishop Marin Srakic of Dakovo-Osijek. "It is essential that Europe already knows and recognises who we are."
The archbishop was preaching at a Mass as Croatia became the EU's 28th member-state, and the first Balkan country to join.
In a homily the previous week for Croatia's Statehood Day, Cardinal Josip Bozanic of Zagreb cautioned that Croatia could not "deny its identity and what it considers holy", and said Europeans would be looking to the country "for freshness and authenticity of values".