CROATIAN CARDINAL STEPINAC WAS PAVELIC'S HEAD MILITARY CHAPLAIN

His Grace Stepinac announced his promotion to the Ordinariats by such letters as the following, addressed to the Ordinariat of the Archbishopric of Sarajevo (No. 22/BK/1942 on January 20, 1942):

'I have the honor of informing the honorable Ordinariat that have been made Head Military Chaplain 'sine titulo' for the Croatian Ustashe army. I have designated as my substitutes the Rev. Stjepo Vucetic, military priest of the Croatian Armed Forces, and Rev. Vilim Cecelja, superior military priest at the Ministry of the Croatian Armed Forces, and I have given them jurisdiction with the necessary authority endorsed by the Holy See. You will eventually be given the names of the military chaplains in the territory of your Ordinariat by the office of the military vicariate at the Ministry of the Croatian Armed forces."

There is one savory detail connected with this affair. Vilim Cecelja, replacing His Grace Stepinac as leading chaplain, with the grade of a Lt. Colonel, was. at the same time Pavelic's ( Croatian Fascist Duce) confessor.

As soon as the new promotion of the Archbishop of Zagreb was made known, approximately 150 priests applied for voluntary service as chaplains in the Fascist Ustashi army, and even His Grace Stepinac's own secretary, Stjepan (Stephen) -Lackovic (now in Los Angeles), was sworn in to one of the units. The official organ, "Ustasa", reported in its 47th issue of November 22, 1942, as it did in previous issues, some of the salient acts of these bellicose ecclesiastics who went against the United Nations and were decorated not only by Pavelic, but also by the Germans.

His Grace Stepinac, from time to time, honored the leave-taking of the legionnaires for the front by his presence. He was accompanied by His Grace Ramiro Marcone, the Vatican's "apostolic visitor," flanked by officers and Nazi diplomats. As can be seen, this prelate had a great conception of his functions and duties as military chaplain, even "sine titulo." Pavelic had every reason to be satisfied, and he proclaimed far and wide: "I am convinced that posterity will be grateful to you Roman Catholic Croatian priests for having inculcated our first soldiers of the Independent State of Croatia with a wholesome spirit, a high morality and respect for God, as well as with fearlessness and courage in facing the enemy both within and without." ("Nova Hrvatska" , Nov. 26, 1941)

His Grace Stepinac not only showed his warlike attitude when he was with the military Ustashi in the barracks, but also when he was with the intellectuals taking charge of the mobilization of the Croats for the cause of the Fascist Croatian satellite state, where he helped to encourage and boost their drooping morale. It was, above all, among the members of the Catholic organization, "Domagoj," that he was the most active.

His Holiness Pius XII remained, as always, cordially paternal toward Pavelic's collaborators: "The Ustashi youth of the crusades, numbering 206, all dressed up in Ustashi uniforms, had a private audience with the Pope on February 6, 1942, in one of the most sacred halls of the Vatican. The reporter wrote that 'the most touching moment was when the youthful Ustashi begged the Pope to bless their Poglavnik, the Independent State of Croatia, and the Croatian people. Each member received a medal as a souvenir.' ("Katolicki Tjednik", Feb. 15, 1942).

"Nearly half of the 22 concentration camps in the Fascist Independent State of Croatia, during WWII were headed by Croatian Roman Catholic clergy..."

SOURCE: "Convert or die" by Edmond Paris, ISBN 0-937958-35-2, 165-167