STEPINAC CONDEMNED NDH CRIMES IN 1941

( Editorial: --> 6056 ) ZAGREB, Oct 5 (Hina) - Reivews in world newspapers on the beatification of Zagreb Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac often claim that in the first days of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH, 1941-1945) blessed Stepinac identified himself with the Ustasha regime. The reviews also say that Stepinac only raised his voice against racist laws and crimes after more than a year had passed, during 1942. In the series of documents released in the several past decades, it was evident that the Cardinal who was at the time the Primate of the Catholic Church in Croatia, from the very beginning protested at the NDH state officials because of their actions against the non- Croat citizens and other races. Part of these documents have been impressed in the two volumes of a book by Jure Kristo, "The Catholic Church and NDH 1941-1945". The book was published this year by the Croatian Historical Institute. In his circular letter to the Archdiocese clergy of 28 April 1941 on the occasion of the establishment of the NDH, Archbishop Stepinac warned: "We must warn and teach everywhere, that holy and noble- minded enthusiasm in the building of the newly established State of Croatia is to be inspired by the fear of God and love for His law and his commandments. Only with the help of God's law and not on false principles can the Sate of Croatia be built on a firm foundation(...)" Two and a half weeks after the circular was sent, May 14, 1941, disturbed by the news of the firs massacres, committed a day earlier, Archbishop Stepinac addressed the state leader Ante Pavelic and forewarned of the downfall of the regime if even one Serb was killed without being proven guilty: " (...) I have just received news that Ustashe forces in Glina executed 260 Serbs without proper investigations and necessary court proceedings. I know that Serbs have committed great crimes in the twenty years of their ruling in our Homeland. My Bishops duty, however commends me to raise my voice and say that according to the Catholic moral this is not permitted, so I ask you kindly to take urgent measures on the entire territory of the NDH so that not one Serb is killed, unless he is proven guilty and deserves the death sentence. Otherwise we can not count on the blessings of heaven without which we are surely condemmed to catastrophe. (..) Less than a month after the establishment of the NDH, May 22,1941, Stepinac vocied his condemnation to the Interior Minister Andrija Artukovic regardig the racist ideology which ordered the Jews to wear yellow arm bands: "Today's society and general moral concepts do not even brand with shame prisones who have been released yet tried for murder, as we believe that these people can be useful members of the human community once again. People living out of wedlock, adulterers, prostitutes have also not been branded with shame", wrote Stepinac emphasising, "Moral laws are valid not only to individuals but also for the state administration too...". Stepinac's principles were very known to the French consulate in Zagreb, Georges Geuyraud. In his official reports, the consul wrote about Cardinal's principles. In his letter to French Minister Darlan on May 30, 1941 consul Geyraud mentioned that the demand to shamefully brand the Jews was a humiliating measure which tretched the already existing tension between Kaptol (Zagreb Archbishop's See) and the regime whose heads profess a burning Catholicism. This tension was shown during Pavelic's trip to Rome: he was invited to join the delegation entitled to offer the Croatian Crown to the Pricne of Savoy. Cardinal Stepinac declined and sent one of his deputy Bishops. (hina) it jn /sp 061334 MET oct 98