Croatia observes All Saints Day

It is the feast of All Saints, a day when the Catholic Church celebrates all the canonized, but also the saints who have achieved the ideal of the Christian life and are not canonized. Citizens visit the graves of their loved ones, lay flowers and light candles. Due to the epidemiological situation, it was recommended that they wear masks and maintain a distance.

Many people from Zagreb visited the graves of their loved ones over the weekend. Citizens arrived in Mirogoj in the morning, and larger crowds arrived in the afternoon.

“When we compare this year with last year, there are already significantly more citizens. I have to admit, when we compare that to the pre-pandemic year, it’s a significant drop in the number of people. Given the situation with the pandemic, I am not sure that a large number can be expected, that is understandable,” said Vlado Mikšić, the Rector of the Church of Christ the King at Mirogoj, as a guest on Croatian Television.

He explained what the faithful are celebrating on this feast day.

“Today is the feast of All Saints. We celebrate the saints. The Catholic Church celebrates its members who have succeeded in fulfilling what the Gospel tells us, the fulfillment of the purpose of their lives - the salvation of the soul. So, we celebrate the saints. They are living proof to us that what Christ seeks in the gospel and what the Scriptures emphasize - holiness - is achievable and possible. On the Feast of All Saints, we want to remember those many who are not canonized, but who certainly rejoice in the kingdom of God to which we are all called,” said Mikšić.

Rector Mikšić explained the difference between the feast of All Saints and All Souls' Day, which we celebrate tomorrow.

“On All Saints' Day, we celebrate the triumphal Church, the people who managed to reach the face of the Lord. On All Souls' Day we pray for those people who have gone on the path of eternity, but because of their various weaknesses or sins have not come to that state of bliss, holiness. It is through this prayer that we want to help them and get closer to them. We believe that through prayers we come to God, but also to our dead. That is why coming to the cemetery, and not praying, is somehow not completely coming,” concluded Mikšić.

Throughout the country masses were held in memory of all holy martyrs.

Source: HRT