Evening star., 1960-02-10
STEPINAC
Continued From First Pag,

COIlIluucu FTOm ElISL rage
between Yugoslavia and the
Vatican. He became a symbol
Of the Catholic Church's re-
sistance to communism.
The 1916 trial and imprison-
ment of Cardinal Stepinac, then
an archbishop, aroused world
wide Catholic indignation; his
later elevation by Pope Plus XII
was interpreted as a hostile act
by the Yugoslav government of
Marshal Tito and it severed
diplomatic relations with the
Vatican.
After serving five years upon
his conviction on charges of
collaborating with the Axis
during World War u-charges
that he denied-Cardinal STEP
mac was given conditional
freedom in 1851. Under terms
of the parole, he was restricted
to duties as a parish priest in
Krasic and the government
referred to him as a former
archbishop"
Cardinal Stepinac insisted he
was still archbishop. IF the
Pope wants it, I am ready to
quit my archbishopric," he said,
but / will never give it up to
government pressure. Vatican
sources said mo civil authority"
could take away his title.
Sentenced in Is46
1t was on October IL, l946,
that the prelate was sentenced
to Is years imprisonment. The
Peoples Court at Zagreb also
ordered that his property be
conf1Scated and that he be de-
prived Of all legal rights for
five years.
; Inc prosecution charged that
Cardinal Stepinac pronounced
Step-een-ats) hid behind the
cloak OF his church in CARRYING
on wartime political activities,
that he followed the Nazi
propaganda line and was in
league with the Croat puppet
government.
He was accused also of ap-
proving forced conversion of
orthodox Serbs to Roman
catholicism, of aiming to an
nlhilate all non-Catholics and
OF tanning a hope that the Tito
government would fail. Cardi-
nal Stepinac denied all of the
charges.
The court allowed % wit
nesSes to testify for him, but
barred IA others. There were
30 prosecution witnesses.
The defense introduced docu-
mentS intended to show that
Cardinal Stepinac was opposed
to mass conversion of the
Serbs and also that he pro-
tested to the leader of the
Ustachi, the Croatian strong
arm squad, against crimes COM
mitted by the Ustachi. Vatican
sources said his brother had
been executed by the Germans
on charges of aiding Marshal
Tito's Partisans.
Asked Equal Right
Cardinal Stepinac, waving his
arms and shaking his finger at
the court in an impassioned
speech, said that "as the Com
muniStS fight for materialistic
theory, SO have we the right to
dght for Christianity"
Bitterly he upbraided the
government for what he called
terrorizing of the Catholic
church, declaring that mot a
Catholic bishop or priest is safe
for his life, day or night" He
said that "a great number of
priests have been killed" in
Yugoslavia.
When he had concluded, the
court president said that Car
dlnal Stepinac had avoided
answering specific accusations
of collaborating with the war
time occupiers of Yugoslavia.
The prosecutor charged that
Cardinal Stepinac was trying to
make himself out "a martyr
like Jesus before Plate"
The church communicated
all who had part in the ar
rest, trial and Imprisonment.
Belgrade Offer Rejected
In July of 1850 the Yugoslav
government offered to free Car
dinal Stepinac on condition
that he leave the country. The
Vatican rejected the offer. In
a cell interview at the time with
an Associated Press cores
pondent. the archbishop said
he would not agree to leave
because I do not feel guilty"
On December S, 1851, Yugo-
Slavia gave him conditional
freedom, but made clear that
it did not recognize him as head
of the Catholic church in the
country or in any other official
Though he had been SEN
fenced to hard labor, Cardinal
was not required to
work in prison. He spent his