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With the news that Pope Benedict XVI has passed away at the age of 95, many in Croatia are remembering his visit to Zagreb just over a decade ago. The pontiff enjoyed a two-day sojourn here in June 2011.
Pope Benedict was welcomed by then Croatian President Ivo Josipović and appeared before almost half a million people at the Zagreb Hippodrome. He also expressed his support for the country’s ultimately successful bid to join the European Union.
His was the fourth papal visit to Croatia – his predecessor, John Paul II, came three times between 1994 and 2003. Pope Benedict was to resign from his position in 2013, making way for Pope Francis.