14 srp Croatian Catholic Medical Society (CCMS/HKLD) tribute to the late Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski of blessed memory

Croatian Catholic Medical Society (CCMS/HKLD) tribute to the late Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski of blessed memory

H.E. Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski,

President of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers,

died on Wednesday, July 12, after a long battle with cancer.

Pope Francis wrote: Archbishop Zimowski  lived with a spirit of faith and Christian witness.

With great sadness and Christian compassion, we received the news today that Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski, President of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, died in the Lord on July 12, 2016.

The Croatian Catholic Medical Society had just sent him an invitation to join us on October 15 of this year in Zagreb and celebrate a Mass in commemoration of the 25^th anniversary the founding of our society.

Unfortunately, the Lord wanted us to celebrate this anniversary without him. We were so looking forward to seeing him. He had promised that he would return when we had the honor of hosting him on the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of our society. In fact, on that occasion, he spent several days in Zagreb, from October 13 to 16, 2011, and took the opportunity to become acquainted with the activities of the Croatian Catholic Medical Society. The highlight of his visit was a Mass that Msgr. Zimowski concelebrated with Msgr. Valentin Pozaić, Auxiliary Bishop of Zagreb and Spiritual Advisor to the CCMS, and the other spiritual advisors to the branches of the CCMS on the Feast of St. Luke, the patron saint of our society, in the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Zagreb.

We mourn the profound loss of a devoted priest and spiritual advisor, who also had great compassion for us Croats, as we suffered similar persecutions for the faith under the communist regime that devoured his Poland and our Croatia. For the Zagreb Branch of the CCMS, the death of Msgr. Zimowski is the loss of a very close spiritual advisor, colleague and friend. Our journey together with him on this earth is over but we live in the hope of being reunited in the Lord. 

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord and let the perpetual light shine upon him.

Rok Čivljak, M.D., Ph.D.
Vice President of the CCMS

Zagreb, October 14, 2011
Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski (center), President of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, with officers and members of the Croatian Catholic Medical Society in the Margarita Peraica Auditorium of the CCMS headquarters in Zagreb on the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of the CCMS

Zagreb, October 14, 2011
Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski (center) met with officials from Croatian medical associations and institutions at the headquarters of the Croatian Medical Association in Zagreb: Prof. Danica Galešić Ljubanović, M.D., Ph.D. (Vice President of the Zagreb Branch of the CCMS), Academician Željko Reiner, M.D., Ph.D. (President of the Croatian Academy of Medical Sciences), Franjo Turalija, M.D. (President of the CCMS), Prof. Željko Metelko, M.D., Ph.D. (President of the Croatian Medical Association), Academician Davor Miličić, M.D., Ph.D. (Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb), Morana Brkljačić, M.D., Ph.D. (Spokesperson of the CCMS), and Msgr. Valentin Pozaić, Ph.D. (Auxiliary Bishop of Zagreb and Spiritual Advisor to the CCMS and the European Federation of Catholic Medical Associations—FEAMC).

Zagreb, Octobe 15, 2011
Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski at the opening of the symposium Autonomy of the Medical Profession and Euthanasia, which was held in the Auditorium of the Institute of Philosophy and Theology, SJ, Jordanovac, Zagreb, on the occasion of his visit to Zagreb for the commemoration of the 20^th anniversary of the founding of the CCMS.   

Zagreb, October 15, 2011
Mons. Zygmunt Zimowski concelebrated Mass in the parish church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at Jordanovac on the occasion of the Feast of St Luke, patron saint of the CCMS, together with the spiritual advisors to the CCMS:  Prof.  Ante Mateljan, Ph.D. (Spiritual Advisor to the Split Branch of the CCMS),  Msgr.  Valentin Pozaić, Ph.D. (Auxiliary Bishop of Zagreb and Spiritual Advisor to the CCMS and FEAMC), Fr. Draženko Tomić, Ph.D. (Spiritual Advisor to the Zagreb Branch of the CCMS) and Fr.  Kristijan Kuhar (Spiritual Advisor to the Pharmicists’ Section of the CCSM). 

Marija Bistrica, October 16, 2011
During a visit by Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski to the Croatian National Shrine of Our Lady of Bistrica, officials of the CCMS were photographed with Msgr. Zimowski at the altar of the National Shrine below a painting of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, in the place where Cardinal Stepinac was beatified by St. John Paul II on October 3, 1998. Pictured are Ivan Ćelić, M.D. (General Secretary of the CCMS), Msgr. Valentin Pozaić, Ph.D. (Auxiliary Bishop of Zagreb and Spiritual Advisor to the CCMS and FEAMC), Msgr. Zlatko Koren (Rector of the Croatian National Shrine of Our Lady of Bistrica), Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski, Franjo Turalija, M.D. (President of the CCMS), and Rok Čivljak, M.D. (President of the Zagreb Branch of the CCMS).