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ZAGREB, Croatia — Pope Benedict XVI strongly backed Croatia’s bid to join the European Union as he arrived in the Balkan nation Saturday but said he could understand fears among skeptics of the EU’s “overly strong” centralized bureaucracy.
The pontiff also expressed the Vatican’s long-running concern that Europe needs to be reminded of its Christian roots “for the sake of historical truth” as he began his first trip as pope to Croatia, a deeply Roman Catholic country.
Croatia is expected to learn this month or next whether negotiations to join the 27-member EU bloc can be concluded, with membership expected in 2012 or 2013.
