The third prophecy given to Fr. Petar Perica was about Croatia's future mission: 'Croatia will be the backbone of Europe.' According to Don Josip Mužić, this prophecy is still being fulfilled. Croatia — a small nation that maintained its Catholic faith through centuries of Ottoman threats, Habsburg rule, and communist persecution — is called to be a defender of Christian civilization in a secularizing Europe. Croatia's role as a frontier nation between East and West, and its fidelity to the Catholic Church, are seen as signs of this prophecy's ongoing fulfillment.