Stepinac serving in the Ustashe Legislature (Sabor)

As has been shown, many Catholic priests, both in spoken word and written article, welcomed the Independent State of Croatia as their own state and greeted Ante Pavelic as a leader sent by God. It was not surprising, then, to find numerous members of both the higher and lower clergy filling official army and administrative posts in the Pavelic state regime.

Many served in the Sabor or Ustashi state parliament. According to a stenographic report of the Ustashi Sabor, the following priests were members: Dr. Aloysius Stepinac, Croat metropolitan and Zagreb archbishop; Dr. Ante Aksamovic, bishop of Djakovo; Bozidar Bralo, curate from Sarajevo; Mijo Etinger, curate from Drvar; Ante Irgolic, curate from Farkasic; Dr. Ante Loncaric, canon from Senj; Stjepan Paunic, curate from Koprivnica; Matija Polic, canon from Bakar; Dr. Tomo Severovic, canon from Krizevac; Bonifacio Sipic, curate from Tucep; Franjo Skrinjar, curate from Zelekovac; Stipe Vucetic, curate from Ledenica, etc., etc. Others held important positions in the executive branch of the government. Priest Bozidar Bralo was for a time Ustashi commissioner for Bosnia and Hercegovina. Others served as Ustashi district administrators.

As for the Ustashi army, Dr. Aloysius Stepinac himself held the position of supreme apostolic vicar. The military vicariat of the armed forces of the quisling Independent State of Croatia was founded in 1941. Archbishop Stepinac was made supreme apostolic vicar by order of the Vatican. As deputies he appointed the Ustashi priests Vilim Cecelja and Stipe Vucetic. In accepting the position as vicar of the army, Archbishop Stepinac indicated to the rest of the Catholic clergy in Croatia by his own example how they should help strengthen Pavelic's regime. Following his lead, 120 Catholic priests volunteered for service in the Ustashi army as military chaplains. These chaplains went everywhere with Pavelic's military units--into battle and plunder and massacre. Some even incited the Ustashi to further criminal acts. It will be recalled how the Franciscan Miroslav Filipovic admitted that, on his orders, 40,000 persons were killed in the concentration camp at Jasenovac.

The Catholic press constantly reported youth meetings and celebrations in Catholic seminaries where Pavelic and the Ustashi regime were enthusiastically acclaimed. The Glasnik Biskupije Bosanske i Sremske of April 15, 1942, carried a review of a celebration given by the Society of Religious Youth in connection with the first anniversary of the Ustashi state. In the presence of Bishop Aksamovic and many high clerics a resolution was adopted praising the Pavelic regime and the "social reconstruction on the basis of the principles of the Ustashi movement."

According to Archbishop Stepinac's own paper, Katolicki List, of April 30, 1942, the students of the Theological Seminary of Zagreb, accompanied by their professors, paid a solemn tribute to Pavelic and praised him as the founder of a new Croatia. In his answer Pavelic stressed the role the Catholic seminaries played in the national reconstruction:

"...I know that the seminaries, especially the seminary of Zagreb, have at all times kept open the doors through which noble sons went to take part in our national reconstruction. I am familiar with all of the bright moments that came to light under the roof of this seminary. The great patriotic enthusiasm, which today prevails in it, is known to me, and I am certain that through education the future generations of the seminary will follow in your footsteps."

In April, 1944, the Minister of Education, Dr. Makanec, and other members of the Pavelic cabinet, visited the college of the Franciscan monastery in Visoko where they were greeted by priest Drljic who declared:

"Our hearts and the hearts of all our students and clerics are full of joy on this day ... In the name of the entire faculty as well as in the names of hundreds of youthful Ustashi hearts, of our entire student body, we greet you with the call: Ready for the Chieftain and for the Fatherland!" (Sarajevo Katolicki Dnevnik, No. 4 and 5, 1944).

In other speeches, the ministers were asked to "tell the Chieftain that the Franciscan youth is ready to follow the bright traditions of the past under the wise rule of the poglavnik."

It was only natural that under such pressure tens of thousands of youngsters filled the cadres of the Ustashi militia and the Black Legion.

Early in 1944 Pavelic's War Ministry issued a special prayer book for soldiers entitled "The Croatian Soldier." The book was prepared by priest Vilim Cecelja, Stepinac's deputy in the army vicariat, and was issued with permission of the Archbishopric Spiritual Board in Zagreb. The Spiritual Board at that time comprised the following members: Archbishop Stepinac, and Bishops Dr. Salis Sevis, Dr. Josip Lah, Ignacije Rodic and Valentin Malek. The prayer book is full of pleas to God on behalf of Pavelic, the Independent State of Croatia and the Ustashi. In one of these the priest asks for blessings of the Ustashi or the Domobranci on the occasion of their taking an oath of loyalty to Pavelic. This blessing reads:

"Almighty and immortal God, father of strength and mercy, who will not allow anyone who believes in you to fail, turn your mercy, Father, to those your children, the Croatian Ustashi and Domobranci, who today take an oath of allegiance to their country and to their chieftain. Help them, God, in your mercy, to accept with all their heart and soul the words that they pronounce, so that they will be ready to give everything for the Croatian fatherland and for the Chieftain, even their lives. Thus may the blessings of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost be upon you and stay with you always. Amen."

As supreme vicar of the Ustashi army, Archbishop Stepinac was present at all of the bigger Ustashi army parades and thus again made clear his connections with Pavelic and the Ustashi.

The army chaplains took an oath before a cross and two candles in front of which were a dagger and revolver. The main task of these army "chaplains" was to take advantage of the religious feelings of the soldiers, to raise their morale in the battle against the allied armies and the Yugoslav Partisans, to goad them on to merciless acts against those who were against them, and to give the soldiers religious support, pardoning their crimes on the grounds that they were battling for the Roman Catholic Church. This may be seen from the speech of one army chaplain, priest Sabic, who told Ustashi recruits on November 12, 1942:

"Be proud as you take the Ustashi oath, for with it you become members of the great Ustashi family, brothers and co-workers to our great Chieftain, brothers of those Ustashi who saved the honor of the Croatian people and who with pistol, bomb and dagger have gone further than our enemies ever dreamed they would go...."

Several hundred Catholic priests received high decorations for the support given to the Ustashi authorities. All bishops, with Archbishop Stepinac at their head, received in 1944 the highest Ustashi decoration "The order of Merit." All these priests were cited for their political services to the Ustashi state or for active participation in battle, either on the Eastern front or in fighting the Partisans.

Some chaplains went with their army units to the Eastern front, where they were decorated with German medals. Niko Daresic, curate from Trsten, fought as a volunteer on the Eastern front with the 369th Legion Regiment, and was decorated with the German medal "Ost Medaille." Priest Grujo Balokovic was active on the Eastern front as a volunteer and as such received two medals. Dr. Stjepan Bogutovac, a priest, was killed fighting on the Eastern front. Celebrated Ustashi chaplains included Dr. Ivo Guberina, chaplain of Pavelic's personal guard, and priests Josip Galesic, Ante Mikulic, Ivan Sehalja, etc.

The Vjesnik Minorsa of October 3, 1942, reported that Joseph Kaurinovic, priest in Prijedor, was decorated posthumously with the Great Silver Medal for Bravery, and cited for "his courageous and determined behavior on the occasion of the attack of the rebels on the locality Prijedor, in the spring of 1942, when with gun in hand he perished as a brave defender of the Independent State of Croatia."

The head of the Franciscan monastery in Knin was decorated with the Order of King Zvonimir III with Swords because of "the sacrifices he made in assisting the Croatian and German troops in connection with the capture of Knin and Drnis in September, 1943."

Pavelic poses with Catholic nuns

Catholic sisters, of various orders, played an active part in such organizations as the "Ustashi Women's Shoot." According to a report in Katolicki Tjednik of December 6, 1942, many Catholic sisters were decorated by Pavelic because of the assistance they gave Ustashi military units in the struggle against the Yugoslav Liberation Army.

Many priests worked directly in the Ustashi propaganda services, and some even in the Gestapo itself; others were active in the Ustashi party and army units. Archbishop Stepinac himself had connections with an agent of the Gestapo, Wilhelm Haeger. Hans Helm, police attaché in the German Legation in Zagreb, declared at his hearing September 3, 1945, that Archbishop Stepinac had very close contact with the Gestapo agent Haeger. Haeger performed many favors for Stepinac; among other things, he brought three Catholic priests from Czestochova, Poland. With the help of Archbishop Stepinac, Wilhelm Haeger was able to make a trip to Rome. In 1944 Haeger was ordained a Catholic priest in Vienna.

Dr. Stjepan Lackovic, Archbishop Stepinac's secretary, who today lives in Youngstown, Ohio, had close contact with the Ustashi intelligence service, according to Franjo Figuric, chief of Ustashi military police. At his hearing on September 15, 1945, Figuric stated that Dr. Lackovic was in close touch with Zvonko Katalenic, Ustashi intelligence service agent.

The Bishop of Krk, Dr. Josip Srebmic, gave information to German and Italian secret police. One proof of this was a circular letter he sent on March 6, 1944, No. 50, ordering the priests of his diocese to report on all happenings in their territory. He wrote: "Representatives of the military and civil authorities are coming to see the Bishop. They assume that he is informed on everything that is happening in his diocese."

The Bishop of Split, Dr. Bonifacic, performed similar services. He suggested that the Italians hold Partisan families responsible for all misfortunes that might befall the occupation army. A letter from the office of the Italian Governor of Dalmatia on December 3, 1941, No. 9139, to the police and VI Army Corps in Split reads:

"In connection with what we reported in our letter No. 51 of November 18, 1941, concerning fighting the Chetnik-communist bandits in the Districts of Sinj, Livno and Bosansko Grahovo, I inform you that the Bishop of Split, recommending warmly the request of Catholic clergy from the above mentioned districts about which you are informed, submits new proposals that for all crimes and damage caused up to now, and for those perpetrated in the future, the families of the bandits who live in those districts be proclaimed responsible. . . ."

Since some high Catholic functionaries engaged in such activities it is easy to understand that parts of the lower clergy did not scruple to maintain contact with the Gestapo, with OVRA and with the Ustashi propaganda services. Two Franciscans from the monastery in Poljud, Marijan Stasic and Ciprijam Lisica, were shown to have given the Italian authorities in Split information regarding Partisan families. Matija Crnkovic, curate from Ludbreg, at his hearing on June' 13, 1945, admitted that he gave the occupation authorities names of members of the National Liberation Movement and had many sent to concentration camps. The organizer of the Ustashi intelligence in northern Dalmatia was the Franciscan Josip Poljak, curate from Perusic. The priests Miroslav Buzuk from Sanski Most and Josip Bekman from Prijedor, at their hearing December 17, 1944, admitted they were Gestapo agents and had collected data about the National Liberation Movement which they sent to the Gestapo in Banja Luka and Prijedor by courier and carrier pigeon. Franciscan Vendelin Gasman, head of the monastery in Bjelovar, at his hearing October 2, 1945, revealed how he became an agent of the Gestapo. Among other things, he said: "Knowing very well the surrounding territory of Budrovac and being in good relations with members and sympathizers of the National Liberation Movement, who looked upon me with confidence, not knowing that I was in Gestapo service, I was able to find many active members of the National Liberation Movement... I chose the most active collaborators of the National Liberation Movement and gave their names to the Gestapo officers in Bjelovar. I reported Bogdan Goldmajer, Mijo Magic and Grinfeld. They were imprisoned in March, 1944, by the German Army."

In November, 1943, Army Chaplain, Captain Teobald Takac, at the conclusion of the celebration of Military Week and after the swearing in of recruits, spoke of the services rendered by the Ustashi soldiers fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Germans. The newspaper Granicar of November 12, 1944, carried his speech in full. Among other things, he said:

"Our heroes stood out on the Eastern front in the course of all great battles. At Stalingrad the soldiers of the Croatian infantry regiment even lived to see that epic end of the battle with the encircled VI German Army of General Field Marshal Paulus. With their blood and lives they sealed their loyalty to their great German ally."

On the occasion of the departure of the Pavelic Navy for the Black Sea to fight with its German Ally against the Soviet Army a celebration was held in Zagreb which was attended by members of the Catholic hierarchy, headed by Archbishop Stepinac and the Papal Legate Dr. Ramiro Marcone. A photograph of this celebration was published in many Catholic papers. Archbishop Stepinac never missed an opportunity to stress the significance of the Ustashi state both in his speeches to the faithful and in his use of the authority of his position. Katolicki List of March 19, 1942, carries a speech which he delivered to Catholic university students, reading in part as follows:

"This is the first time that I speak to you from this platform since the dream of your youth has come true and the Independent State of Croatia has become a reality--for which the bones of innumerable heroes of our people have rotted away."

Archbishop Stepinac frequently participated in Ustashi celebrations. Hrvatski Narod of April 11, 1942, reported that he took part in a parade of Ustashi military units celebrating the first anniversary of the puppet state. Before the parade Stepinac celebrated a solemn mass which was attended by Pavelic and the Axis diplomatic representatives. The Archbishop welcomed Pavelic at the entrance to the church on this occasion and escorted him inside.

Hrvatski Narod of March 13, 1942, reported that in connection with the celebration of the Pope's crowning, following the solemn mass in the Cathedral Archbishop Stepinac gave a reception in his palace which was attended by many members of the Ustashi government and by Axis diplomats. He did not miss this opportunity to praise the quisling regime, while an Ustashi military band played in the street outside.

Two days later the Hrvatski Narod reported that Archbishop Stepinac held a Thanksgiving Mass on the occasion of the third anniversary of the quisling Slovakian state.

Following the pattern set by Archbishop Stepinac, Katolicki Tjednik, the organ of "Catholic Action," wrote in its issue of April 5, 1942:

"Upon the anniversary of the founding of the Independent State of Croatia, we Catholics will piously clasp our hands and pray to God to let his blessing fall upon our land and our people. Of the individual leaders of our state, the main subject of our prayers and sacrifices will be our Chieftain, Ante Pavelic."

Glasnik Biskupije Bosanske i Sremske No. 9, on April 15, 1942, said:

"Every thought of our State independence is closely tied to the name of Ante Pavelic. We must admit that those basic principles upon which the life of our new state must develop are in agreement with the principles of God, nature and positive justice."

Two archbishops, Stepinac and Saric, and one bishop used the inauguration of the new Bishop of Mostar as an occasion for a special pro-Ustashi manifestation. According to two Catholic periodicals, Katolicki Tjednik of October 25, 1942, and Vrhbosna, Nos. 9-10, 1942, the new bishop, Cule, stated in his address that his task was "to cooperate as closely as possible with the Ustashi authorities, to work loyally to strengthen the Independent State of Croatia, and to support with all means the Chieftain, Ante Pavelic." Music was provided by several bands and the choir sang the Ustashi song and the state hymn, while the audience stood at attention with arms stretched out in fascist salute, according to these Catholic publications.

According to Novi List of March 8, 1942, Archbishop Saric sent instructions to the clergy to support the Ustashi authorities in all their efforts. The Archbishop often expressed his deep devotion to Dr. Pavelic and he was a most intimate friend of the Ustashi executioners, Dr. Viktor Gutic and Juro Francetic, commander of the "Black Legion." He used the Ustashi salute and employed every opportunity to glorify the Chieftain and the Ustashi regime. Novi List of November 10, 1942, reported a speech in which Archbishop Saric said:

"The good Lord loves the Croatian people whose slogan is God and the Croatians. In order to be such we must follow the example of our noble Chieftain, who can serve as a model to us in every way, including religion. For that purpose you can pray and commend yourself to God with whose help along with that of our great and dear allies we will finally be victorious. With faith in God let us, therefore, always be ready for the Chieftain and for the fatherland."

In connection with the first anniversary of the Independent State, Archbishop Saric published an article in the Sarajevo Novi List in which he glorified the Chieftain and expressed his complete loyalty to him and to Ustashi principles. He added that the Chieftain fills every heart with light and love for the fatherland and that he "lives and works as an apostle." The article concluded: "He was given to us by God in whom he, as a man of God, has faith. We have to thank Providence for having given him to us."

Saric's golden jubilee as a priest gave Ustashi authorities and followers another opportunity for manifesting their Ustashi ideology. Saric himself on this occasion published an article in Hrvatski Narod of July 30, 1944, entitled: "Thanks to God and to the Poglavnik."

According to the organ of the Split-Makarska bishopric, Nos. 1-5, January-May, 1944, Bishop Bonifacic, of Split, gave a sermon in thc cathedral on April 11, 1944, in which he said:

"Today the Croatian people are celebrating their great holiday, the anniversary of the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia. We should be proud of our state, established by the unselfish work of our Chieftain. This state manifests our only political salvation, our true Croatian national life and our resurrection."

Bishop Aksamovic of Djakovo received a medal from one of Pavelic's delegates, who, in presenting it observed that "His Excellency the Bishop has from the very beginning cooperated with the Ustashi authorities." According to Hrvatski List of April 28, 1944, the bishop answered with a speech full of devotion to the Chieftain and the Ustashi regime, concluding: "A few days ago the Chieftain told the people clearly that the Croatian state exists and will remain in existence, and we will add: Every Croatian, young and old, lives for Croatia and will die for Croatia. In that company you will have your bishop."

Neither the capitulation of Italy nor the growing strength of the National Liberation Movement caused the Catholic Episcopate to change its pro-Ustashi and pro-Axis policies, The worse the situation became for the Axis the more firmly Archbishop Stepinac and the Episcopate defended the existence of the Ustashi regime. In his report of May 18, 1943, Stepinac implored the Pope to do something for the rescue of Croatia. Thus, throughout the war, Archbishop Stepinac and a considerable part of the higher and lower clergy bound the fate of the Catholic Church in Croatia to that of the Axis and the Ustashi regime.

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THE CASE OF ARCHBISHOP STEPINAC

Croatian Holocaust

Papacy Uncovered