USTASHA Movement

HOLY SEE AND PAVELIC'S CROATIA

Another pontifical measure soon added significance to the event of Pavelic's ceremonious welcome at the Vatican, usually given only for the head of a government. The Pope on 13 June (Pavelic's name day, "Antunovo") designated His Grace, Giuseppe Ramiro Marcone, a Benedictine of the Monte Vergine congregation and a member of the Roman Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas, to represent him at the Croatian episcopacy. But in the matter of attributions His Grace, Marcone, singularly surpassed those of an "apostolic visitor," that being his official title. So, according to the protocol of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Zagreb, he was classified, with his secretary, Masucci, another Benedictine, under the heading: "Delegation of the Holy See," and in official ceremonies he was placed ahead of the representatives of the Axis, being considered the Dean of the diplomatic corps. Furthermore, His Grace, Marcone, in his correspondence with the Ustashi government, called himself "Sancti Sedis Legatus" or "Elegatus," but never "apostolic visitor."

The Croat hierarchy, as well as the press, referred to Ramiro Marcone as the Pope's Legate, giving him the title of "His Excellency," and never specifically mentioned him as the Pope's observer or envoy to the Croat Catholic Episcopacy. During the ordaining of the new Bishop, Janko Simrak in Krizevci, on August 18, 1942, "the Pope's legate to the Fascist Independent State of Croatia, Mgr. Ramiro Marcone was present with his secretary. In reporting on the Pontifical Requiem which was held in Zagreb after the death of Maglione, Secretary of the Vatican, on August 24, 1944, the "Katolicki List" wrote that Mgr. Ramiro Marcone, the delegate of the Holy See in the Independent State of Croatia,27 was also present. Another article published in the Christmas issue of the "Katolicki List" mentions again that "the Honorabe Fra. Ramiro Marcone, was the delegate of the Holy See in Zagreb." In an article on apologetics, which appeared in the Katolicki List in connection with the "celebration of the name's day of the honorable legate," it is clearly seen that Mgr. Ramiro Marcone was the "legate of the Holy See in the Independent State of Croatia.

"Katolicki List" wrote how the clero-Ustashi group looked upon Fra. Marcone, and said the following in that regard: "This was more than was needed for establishing the recognition de facto since as the name indicated, it was not conferred by international law, or by any explicit declaration, but was deducted from an ensemble of facts, which in themselves were amply significant. His Grace, Stepinac, understood this perfectly when he noted in his journal on August 3rd, the day the Pope's representative reached Zagreb: 'By this act, the Holy See has recognized via facti the Independent State of Croatia.'

"Katolicki List" also wrote the following regarding Ramiro Marcone's position and mission: "We, the Croats, see in Fra. Marcone a high diplomatic representative of the Pope, our Holy Father.... May the Lord bless his sacrificing work, may it bear the richest fruits to the benefit of the Holy Church and the State of Croatia."

It is natural that such a political introduction given to Fra. Marcone was bound to affect the Catholic masses in the Fascist Independent State of Croatia, as well as the Ustashi government. It must have reflected on the religious feelings and political orientation of the Catholic masses. By interpreting Fra. Marcone's role in such a manner, a conscious and intentional influence acted on the Catholic masses invoking in them the desire to preserve the Independent State of Croatia.

In exchange, Pavelic sent two unofficial representatives to the Vatican, Nikola Rusinovic, and then Erwin Lobkowicz, the Pope's secret chamberlain. Although they had no titles, they were diplomatic agents, and implicitly recognized as such, since His Grace Canali, the great manipulator of finances at St. Peter's provided them with Vatican ration tickets, "carta annonaria", to which all accredited diplomats of the Holy See were entitled.

It can thus be observed that there were close ties between the Vatican and Satellite Croatia, where Giuseppe Ramiro Marcone remained until the debacle, transmitting instructions from Rome to the Croatian clergy and episcopacy, principally concerning the conversions of the Orthodox Serbs, and often traveling from one region to another, where the battle was raging between the resistants and the Ustashi. The "apostolic visitor" was on excellent terms with the latter, and also with the officers of the Axis, as can be proved by many photographs, showing him in their midst during the official ceremonies and Nazi salute. He can be seen in the Poglavnik's intimate family circle, looking most paternal and benevolent.

The cordiality of these public as well as private relationships remained untouched by the assassination of the Serbian Orthodox priests, which continued to multiply. On May 21st, the same day that the Croat delegation returned triumphant from Rome, the Orthodox Serbian Bishop of Plaski, Sava Trlajic, was arrested by the Ustashi officer,Fra. Josip Tomljenovic, and his palace pillaged and demolished. He was taken in a truck to Ogulin with three other priests, Revs. Jasa Stepanov, Milan Rajcevic, and Bogoljub Gakovic, and also thirteen Serbian notables. All of them were shut up in a stable, beaten and tortured, and then taken away o Gospic. From there, about Aug. 15th, they were sent away by convoy, with two thousand Serbs, to the Island of Pag where general "liquidation" took place.

Even in Zagreb, where His Grace Stepinac and the "visitor" Marcone resided, the Serbian Orthodox Bishop Dositej, was beaten and tortured to such an extent that he became insane.

There were four Serbian Orthodox Bishops with those from Bosnia-Herzegovina, to which should be added approximately 171 priests and religious followers, who, like the first Christians, met the fate of martyrs upon the ruins of their profaned churches. Others were deported to Serbia. Only those of the mountainous regions,in Krajina, controlled by the guerrillas, were able to escape.

The Serbian Orthodox population, thus bereft of the traditional leaders, became an easier prey for the converters, as well as for the assassins. Massive massacres took place after- their death and torture in the bishoprics of the two martyrs, Sava and Dositej, which served as a prelude to equally massive conversions.

Parallel to the onslaughts made against the Serbs, was the extermination of the Jews, which continued with a vengeance, and applauded by the Catholic Croatian press. Just as the terrorism had nearly reached its climax, the "Katolicki Tjednik", the organ of Catholic Action and specifically of Archbishop Saric of Sarajevo, published an article signed by the priest Franjo Kralik, entitled: "Why Are THE JEWS BEING PERSECUTED?" Among the items is the following text:

"The descendants of those who hated Jesus, who condemned him to death, who crucified him and immediately persecuted his disciples,are guilty of greater excesses than those of their forefathers. Greed is growing. The Jews who led Europe and the entire world to disaster -morally, culturally and economically-developed an appetite which nothing less than the world as a whole could satisfy.... Satan helped them to invent Socialism and Communism. Love has its limits. The movement for freeing the world from Jews is a movement for the renascence of human dignity. The all-wise and Almighty God is behind this movement."

The "renaissance" of human dignity in Satellite Croatia reached its peak with the deliberate mass slaughter of hundreds of thousands of innocent people.

A little later the same paper gave further emphasis: "The greatest enemies of the Croatian people are the Orthodox Serbs and, as in all Europe, the Jews, and Communists." This was, at least, what Roman clericalism had preached in all the countries of Europe, even before it had fallen beneath the yoke of Hitler. The following is an excerpt from the pastoral letter of the primate of Poland, Cardinal Hlond: "It is an actual fact that the Jews fight against the Catholic Church. They are free-thinkers, and constitute the vanguard of atheism, bolshevism and revolution. The Jewish influence on morals is fatal. It is also true that the Jews are committing frauds, practicing usury and dealing in white slavery." The Croatian Ustashi exterminated 80% of Yugoslav Jews.These warm-hearted testimonials of approbation, cited by the Catholic-Croatian authorities who had adopted the policy of racial and religious purges practiced by the Ustashi, could be multiplied without end.

Still again the following quotation: "Blessings upon the first national Croatian banner in Bosnia took place in the convent of Nazareth before the Sisters of Christ's precious Blood . . . near Banja Luka. The standard-bearer was Fra.Viktor Gutic. It so happened that Fra. Viktor Gutic was none other than the Ustashi prefect who, a month before, had ordered the "liquidation" of Serbian Orthodox Bishop Platon, of Banja Luka, with all the refinements of cruelty which have, heretofore, been described. Perhaps Christ's blood was cherished by the good sisters of Nazareth but the blood of Christians, such as the Serbian Orthodox was worth nothing to them.

1) Zagreb metropolitan Dositej Vasic (born in 1877, ordained in 1899, bishop of Nis in 1913). Interned in Bulgaria during World War I. Elected first Zagreb metropotitan in 1932, and enthroned in 1933. As the oldest member of the Holy Synod, he was in charge of Church affairs during the illness of Patriarch Varnava, and until the election of the new patriarch. During World War II, he was severely humiliated and maltreated in Zagreb, and then expelled to Belgrade. In poor health due to his sufferings in the Fascist Independent State of Croatia, he died on January 13, 1945 in the Belgrade Monastery of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, and was buried there.

2) The white-haired old man, metropolitan of Bosnia and Sarajevo, Petar Zimonjic' (born 1866, ordained in 1895, metropolitan of Zahumlje and Herzegovina in 1903, and of Bosnia in 1920), one of the most eminent Serbian dignitaries, remained with his flock in 1941. He was arrested on May 12. There are many testimonies of his heroic stand when he faced the criminals. He was innocently killed that same year. Several versions exist about his martyrdom in the Fascist Independent State of Croatia. The precise place of his death is not known.

3) The bishop of Karlovac Sava Trlajic (born in 1884, ordained in 1909, bishop in 1934, bishop of Karlovac since 1938); early in the war he refused the offer made by the Italian occupiers to move to Belgrade, and remained with his Orthodox people,- underwent many humiliations in the Fascist Independent State of Croatia, and finally ended his life as a martyr. The place of his grave is still unknown.

4) The bishop of Banja Luka Platon Jovanovic (born in 1874, bishop in 1936, and bishop of Banja Luka in 1939) died a martyr's death in the Fascist Independent State of Croatia, on May 5, 1941, and was thrown into the Vrbanja river. He was later buried in the Orthodox cemetery of Banja Luka. ]

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