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".