Pope visits Croatian flock

Pope Benedict XVI spent two days in Croatia this June, where he was met by delighted crowds in the predominantly Catholic country.

The pontiff championed the country's prospective membership of the European Union, and spoke in praise of traditional family values.

"In today' s society the presence of exemplary Christian families is more necessary and urgent than ever," he reflected.

"Unfortunately we are forced to acknowledge the spread of a secularisation which leads to the exclusion of God from life and the increasing disintegration of the family, especially in Europe," he continued.

There was some controversy surrounding a tribute made be the pope to Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, who was Archbishop of Zagreb during the Second World War, who was later imprisoned by the Communists.

Stepinac was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1998, but some voices continue to portray the cardinal as an avid supporter of Croatia's pro-Nazi wartime regime.