BIOGRAPHY OF CARDINAL ALOJZIJE STEPINAC

( Editorial: --> 4292 ) ZAGREB, Sept 30 (Hina) - The Pope's beatification of God's venerable servant Alojzije Stepinac in Marija Bistrica, October 3 is one of the most significant events this century for the Church amongst Croats. Because of the meaning of this event we are releasing a brief biography and chronology of the beatification of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac. - 8 May - Born in Brezanic near Krasic, as the fifth of eight children, to Josip and Barbara Stepinac (nee)Penic. - 9 May - He was baptised and in keeping with the local tradition he was given two names: Alojzije Viktor. - 1909 He finished primary school in Krasic. - 29 June 1916 - Graduated from the Upper Town Grammar School in Zagreb. The same day he was drafted into the army in Karlovac. - July 1916 sent to Rijeka to attend an officers' course. - 20 February 1917 - During World War I sent to the Italian front as an infantry lieutenant in the 96th "Mitara" regiment. - 1918 - during an offensive he was taken captive and remained in detention for five months. - 6 December 1918 - released from captivity and transferred to Thessaloniki, while in the spring of 1918 he was demobilised. - Autumn 1919 - enrolled at the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb. He soon discontinued and returned to Krasic and became involved with family farming. He considered the possibility of marriage which is confirmed by his letters to Marija Horvat. - 28 October 1924 - after he decided to become a priest he enrolled at the Collegium Germanicum-et Hungaricum in Rome. Later he enrolled at the Pontifical Gregorian University where in 1927 he gained a doctorate. He then studied theology and in 1931 and gained a doctorate in theology. - 26 October 1930 - Ordained as a priest in Rome and on November 1 (All Saints Day), he celebrated his first Holy Mass in the Saint Mary Major Basilica in Rome. - 1 July 1931 - he returned to his homeland while on 19 July he celebrated his first Mass in his home town of Krasic. - 27 July 1931 - Archbishop Bauer nominated Stepinac as the Master of Ceremonies at the Archbishop's curia, while on April 10, 1934 he was nominated as the curia's notary. 25 November 1931 - On Stepinac's initiative, Bauer established the Caritas of the Zagreb Archdiocese. Stepinac established and edited the Caritas magazine. 10 January 1932 - worked as the temporary administrator of the parish of Samobor to calm down conflicts which had arisen following the death of the parish priest. 29 October 1933 - worked as the temporary administrator of the parish of Sv. Ivan Zelina, with the mission of calming the parishioners who did not wish to accept a new parish priest. - 28 May 1934 - Pope Pius XI designated him as titular bishop of Nikopsis and Archbishop Coadjutor of Zagreb with the right of succession. - 24 June 1934 - Archbishop Bauer consecrated Stepinac as a bishop in the Zagreb cathedral. - 7 July 1934 - Heads the Zagreb votive pilgrimage afoot to Marija Bistrica, something he will repeat each year until 1946 when it was made impossible for him. - 1935 - he protested against the bloodshed in Senj and Sibinj. His protests against the prohibition to display the Croatian flag and singing of patriotic songs are amongst his most significant. - 1937 - Headed a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he consecrated an altar in honour of Blessed Nikola Tavelic in Jerusalem. Tavelic was a Croat and later proclaimed a saint because of his martyrdom in Jeuraselem. - 7 December 1937 - a papal decree nominated Stepinac as the 72 nd archbishop of Zagreb following the death of Archbishop Antun Bauer. The archdiocese was established in 1094. 10 January 1940 - issued a letter to doctors stating that in every case, abortion was murder. - 29 January 1940 - Began to publish the Catholic daily "Hrvatski glas" (The Croatian Voice). - Paid special attention that in 1941 the 1300th anniversary of the first contact by Croats with the Holy See be marked. The winds of war however, halted the celebrations in that holy year for the Croatian nation. - 28 April 1941 - issued a circular to the faithful, which was filled with sincere patriotism and yet deep concern for the looming responsibilities which would be required during the fateful times awaiting the Croatian people. He invited his priests to accept the new reality which surrounded them. At the beginning of May 1941, Pavelic (the leader of the newly proclaimed Independent State of Croatia), offered Stepinac to take over the government. Stepinac however, adamantly refused this. In the history of the Croatian Sabor (Parliament), administrative authority laid with the Zagreb bishop until such time that a new leader was elected. - 14 February 1942 - Stepinac lodged a sharp protest with Dr. Ante Pavelic, regarding the death of seven Slovenian priests in the Jasenovac concentration camp. "This is a shameful slur and crime which cries to the heavens for revenge, just as the Jasenovac camp is a shameful slur on the entire 'Independent State of Croatia' (NDH), wrote Stepinac. - 22 May 1941 - Jews were ordered to wear yellow arm bands. On several occasions Stepinac sent sharp protests against this inhumane order. As soon as he heard about the oppression of Serbs in Glina for example, he immediately sent Pavelic a protest note and demanded the protection of the innocent. Many people knocked on his door every day looking for protection and his support. He did not refuse anyone and he supported their appeals against injustice and violence. He saved thousands of Jews and Serb nationals. It is estimated that due to his tireless efforts, he managed to save the lives of 10,000 people. - His homilies on the Feast of Christ the King on 25 October 1942 and the one issued at the end of the penitential pilgrimage on 31 October 1943, were not allowed to be published. These were reproduced and circulated, some even falling in the hands of the Partisans. These were later used by the Partisans to suit their propaganda purposes via Radio London and Radio America. In his homily on the Feast of Christ the King, he said, "All nations and races are created by God. In reality there is only one race and that is God's race". - 31 October 1943 - In a speech in front of the Cathedral condemning injustices, he said, "We always stressed in public life the principles of God's eternal law regardless of whether we spoke about Croats, Serbs, Jews, the Gypsies, Catholics, Muslims, Orthodox or whoever else. The Catholic Church only recognises races and nations as creations of God and if he values anyone more it is those who have a nobler heart and not a stronger fist". - 8 May 1945 - Stepinac awaited the Partisans in Zagreb, with a clear conscience even though Radio Belgrade had already accused him as a war criminal. - 17 May 1945 - taken into custody and interrogated for 17 days. - 3 June 1945 - Following a meeting with between Josip Broz Tito, (president of the new Yugoslav state), and the Zagreb clergy, Stepinac was released from jail. - 4 June 1945 - Met with Tito, who presented a proposal regarding the separation of the Catholic Church in Yugoslavia from Rome. - 21 June 1945 - Forwarded Tito an appeal against the injustice that was being committed against the Catholic Church. - 22 September 1945 - The Catholic Episcopacy, gathered at the session of the Bishops’ Conference, and issued a pastoral letter where the Bishops stood in defence of God's rights, the rights of the Church, the freedom of conscience for the faithful and citizens. This was followed by serious attacks against the Church. - 4 November 1945 - on the occasion of opening a new church in Zapresic, Stepinac was physically attacked. - 18 September 1946 - The Archbishop was arrested and on September 30, brought in front of a 'trumped up' trial against him by the "People's Court", as an enemy of the state and the people. - 3 October 1946 - Stepinac withstood the charges of an unjust court. He then said, "In answer to all the charges which have been brought against me, I respond that my conscience is calm...I was not a 'persona grata' not before the Germans nor the Ustashi. I was not an Ustashi, nor did I ever give an oath as your clerks here have done. In a plebiscite, the Croatian nation expressed their wish for a Croatian state. I would be a wretch if I did not felt the pulse of the Croatian people, who had been enslaved in the former Yugoslavia" he said in his defence statement. - 11 October 1946 - Sentenced to "16 years’ imprisonment and hard labour and the loss of political and civil rights for a period of five years.” - 19 October 1946 - Taken to the “Penal and Correctional Institution” in Lepoglava to serve his sentence. - 5 December 1951 - Stepinac was transferred from Lepoglava to Krasic on the basis of a “conditional discharge”. - 12 January 1953 - Pope Pius XII makes Stepinac cardinal. Immediately following the nomination, Yugoslavia broke diplomatic relations with the Holy See. - From spring 1953 - The Cardinal's health rapidly deteriorated. By the beginning of 1960, more than 34 litres of the Cardinal's blood had been drained due to the large production of eritrocites. He suffered from the fatal disease “Vasques” (“polycithaemia rubra vera”). - 10 February 1960 - Died in his home town in Krasic and on February 13 buried in the Zagreb Cathedral. - 17 February 1960 - A special memorial service held for Cardinal Stepinac, in the Vatican Basilica of St. Peter, when Pope John XXIII said: “We are praying for the glorification of his chosen spirit.” This in some way forecast Stepinac's canonisation. - 14 November 1969 - The then administrator of the Zagreb Archdiocese, Bishop Franjo Kuharic requested the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for its opinion about the appropriate time to commence the procedure to have the Archbishop proclaimed a saint. - 17 February 1979 - Cardinal Franjo Seper and Archbishop Franjo Kuharic sent Pope John Paul II a request to beatify Cardinal Stepinac. - 4 December 1980 - The Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved the commencement of procedures to beatify the Zagreb Archbishop and Cardinal - 24 February 1981 - The postulator for the process, Antonio Cairoli nominated. - 4 October 1991 - Following the death of Cairolia, a new postulator nominated, being Dr. Juraj Batelja. - 17 February 1993 - The final meeting to take testimonies held in the Zagreb Cathedral. - From 29 May to 6 June 1995 - Courts to testify the Cardinal's martyrdom held in Zagreb. - 5 May 1998 - Presided by Cardinal Pious Laghia, a meeting of cardinals and bishops held which unanimously adopted a decision proclaiming Stepinac a true martyr of the Catholic faith. - 8 May 1998 - During a Mass held in Krasic marking the 100th anniversary of Stepinac's birth, Zagreb Archbishop Msgr. Josip Bozanic announced the Holy See's decision regarding Pope John Paul II's visit to Croatia for October 2 - 4. At the same time, Bozanic announced that the Pope had said that during the Eucharist celebration to be held in Marija Bistrica, he would proclaim Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac blessed. 3 July 1998 - Decree issued announcing the beatification of the martyr, Alojzije Stepinac. (Hina) sp 302038 MET sep 98