Cardinal Kuharić refutes channel Arte#!s accusations against cardinal Stepinac, servant of God

Zagreb, February 12, 1997 (IKA) “Even thirty-seven years after the blessed death of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac in Krašić on February 10, 1960, we who lived in the proximity and time of this servant of God ceaselessly bear witness that he was righteous and promoted respect for the human rights of every individual, regardless of nationality, religion or politics. He condemned all the evils by any side that were committed during the tragic wartime [WWII] period. He helped every unfortunate as much as he could and protected the persecuted,” proclaimed Archbishop Cardinal Franjo Kuharić during his sermon at a Requiem Mass held for Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac on February 10 in the Zagreb Cathedral. Emphasizing that Cardinal Stepinac “stood erect before all the powerful of this world as a person committed to those who suffered, to the oppressed and impoverished,” as evident in all his speeches, sermons, epistles, messages, and thousands of letters and documents that radiate his pure spirit, the archbishop of Zagreb refuted recent allegations by the German-French Arte Channel that accused Stepinac of perpetrating crimes and participating in violence. “The entire honorable world knows the extent to which Stepinac fought for persecuted people. He was sentenced at a rigged trial, as were thousands of others under totalitarian systems. Today, after half a century, this rigged trial and his sentencing have been adopted and propagated by a television station in democratic Western Europe. We can only ask the editors of this program whether they have examined their consciences and professional responsibilities concerning their actions. Did they even slightly believe such general accusations against a righteous and innocent person, against a Church and a small nation, that had been through a war and decimated after this war? Did they even slightly believe he could have been guilty and therefore unrighteous?” said the cardinal. He continued, “We do not deny that during World War II there were extremists among the Croatian people who crossed the ethical boundaries of warfare and committed crimes. However, it is always necessary to be a righteous judge of everyone. An objective judge does not multiply guilt nor does he spread guilt to the innocent; he judges only on the basis of confirmed facts, on the basis of the truth, in order to reach a fair assessment of guilt without violating justice. Ill-intentioned propaganda, on the contrary, does not know justice and does not respect the truth. It is ruthless in its accusations. It is never objective, provokes hatred, and thwarts peace.”
Testifying that Cardinal Stepinac was faithful to Christ and the Church, the archbishop of Zagreb said, “In the light of the Holy Gospels, he made a correct assessment of the historical events and conditions as well as the relations between people and nations. With firm moral principles, he attempted a moral and spiritual renewal of the Croatian nation, decisively condemning sin and urging people to turn to God. Truly, he was a pillar of the Church. He was righteous and free before the powerful. He was humble before the small and weak, working on behalf of the person. Even prior to the Second Vatican Council, his speeches embraced the concept of the dignity of the human person, inviolate from conception. His conscience was truly pure. People with a pure conscience are free, even when they are victims of violence.”