Evening star., 1946-09-22
YugosIavia Increases
Catholic Persecution
Trieste Bishop Says
By the Assoeioted Press

TRIESTE, Sept. 21.-The Most
Rev. Antonio Santin. Roman
Catholic bishop of Trieste and
Capodistria, charged today that
a wave of religious persecution
had begun in the YugoSlav occu-
patton zone OF Venezia Giulia
from which five Catholic priests
fed during the past 10 days.
The prelate said in an interview
that in the past 10 days the Yugo-
slsv regime has been on the attack
against the church." and he ex-
pressed serious concern for the
Catholic clergy in the Yugoslav
zone.
"AH fve priests who fed were
told secretly that they had been
placed on the purge list and advised
TO seek refuge" Bishop Santin said.
L deprecate their action in leaving
their posts. however, and intend to
send them all back to continue their
duties"
Archbishop TO Be Tried.
Earlier this week the Yugoslav
government announced the arrest
in zagreb Of Archbishop Aloiziic
Stepinac, head of the Roman Cath
elic Church in Yugoslavia, who will
go on trial for crimes against the
people" next week. The trial of
Is others-l2 OF them priests-was
halted to permit the public prose-
outor in Belgrade to draw up an in
dictment of the archbishop.
Bishop Ssntin said the anti
Catholic campaign apparently be-
gan September IL in Venezia Giulia,
with the abduction of the Rev
Bonlfacio Francesca. Paris, priest
OF the small town of Villa GardoSsi
The bishop said he was told by an
eyewitness that Father Francesca
was "ambushed' on a country road
by SIX Yugosiav soldiers and an
ofdcer, who took him away in
truck
Nothing has been heard of the
priest. and his brother, who made
persistent inquiries. has been ar
rested and imprisoned, Bishop San
tin said. Indignantly, the bishop
rejected any suggestion that Father
Francesca or any of the five who
fed their parishes ever had collab-
GRATED with the Germans.
In Italy Throughout the War.
Father Francesca, who is 80, was
In Italy throughout the war and
only recently took charge of the
parish at Villa Gardossi. The
bishop said the young priest did
not even see any Germans, and
that at least two of the other five
priests were known for their hos
tility to the Nazis in defense of
their local populations. One had
been sentenced to death toward the
END Of the German occupation, the
bishop said
The diocese of Trieste and Capo-
dlstria is almost entirely in Yugo-
slsv zone B. But during the past
three months the bishop has not
been able to visit any of his par
ishes beyond the Morgan line,
which divides Venezia Giulia into
Allied and. Yugoslav zones, he said.
He added that Yugoslav authorities
had Informed him that if he Wis
tied the parishes. they would not
be responsible for his safety
Car Stoned by Women.
Bishop Santin said recently he at
tempted to travel to Otcina, a Slo-
vene suburb of Trieste, to confirm
class of-150 children but had to,
turn back when his car was stoned
by a group of women
Many of these women later
went to the local priest and asked
him to beg my forgiveness" the
bishop said. They said they had
been ordered to stone the car as
a political demonstration by local
Communist leaders, who did not
tell them who would be in the car.
The Communists then took the op-
portunity to eXclaim in their news
papers that the people of Otcina
cid not want the bishop"