In this bloody work the [Roman Catholic] Ustasha had the assistance of many of the Muslim population, who were from the first treated with special favor by the Pavelich authorities [a mosque was even opened in Zagreb], and who were eventually recruited into a special SS division of their own, which later in the war was reviewed and inspected by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.

"On a visit to Rome in May 1941, Pavelich was solemnly met at the station by Mussolini & Ciano. He also was received by Pope Pius XII, an incident for which the Vatican was severely criticized, but one which was allegedly not intended to imply official recognition. ...."

THE BALKANS IN OUR TIME

By ROBERT LEE WOLF (Professor of history at Harvard)

Published by: W.W.NORTON & Co. by arrangement w/Harvard Press

page 203 ..................... THE WAR YEARS

".....popular Peasant party as ruler. But Machek refused to collaborate with them, and went into retirement. So the role of chief native subordinate to the Germans and Italians was given to the Ustasha leader, Ante Pavelich, who now became Poglavnik (Fuehrer).

On a visit to Rome in May 1941, Pavelich was solemnly met at the station by Mussolini & Ciano. He also was received by Pope Pius XII, an incident for which the Vatican was severely criticized, but one which was allegedly not intended to imply official recognition. ......."

page 205 ".......that they were in fact of German origin, and urged them to abandon their native language and national way of life and become Germans. Even more savage were the ghastly Ustasha massacres of Jews and Serbs in "Croatia." The Jews of Zagreb and Sarajevo were killed or sent to concentration camps or deported to Poland for extermination.

Ustasha gangs also slaughtered tens of thousands of Serbs. To some they offered the choice between conversion from Orthodoxy to [Roman] Catholicism or instant deaths. Others were permitted to join a new and totally artificial "Croat Orthodox Church" with a Hitlerite White Russian at its head.

In the mixed Serb-Croat villages, incredible scenes of violence took place, whole populations often being herded into Orthodox churches and burned alive. In this bloody work the Ustasha had the assistance of many of the Muslim population, who were from the first treated with special favor by the Pavelich authorities [a mosque was even opened in Zagreb], and who were eventually recruited into a special SS division of their own, which later in the war was reviewed and inspected by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.

It must also be recorded as a historic fact that certain members of the Croat Catholic hierarchy, notably Archbishop Sharich of Sarajevo, endorsed this butchery, and some members of the Franciscan order took an active part in the forced conversion of the Serbs and also in the massacres.

As for the Archbishop of Zagreb, Stepinats [Stepinac], whose trial and sentence after the war have been a cause celebre, he attended Ustasha ceremonies, belonged to the commission for the conversion of the Orthodox, and often appeared in public on ceremonial occasions with members of the regime, to which the newspaper of his archdiocese gave its support.

Elsewhere the dreary story varied only in degree. The Hungarians massacred at least 10,000 Serbs in Novi Sad and at other points in the Bachka in ........

-END QUOTE-

[ Archbishop Stepinac was made a Cardinal AFTER the war ]

[ Archbishop Stepinac recently praised by current pope ]