Opening of the Conference on Archbishop Stepinac and the Serbs in Croatia in the Context of World War II and the Postwar Period

Zagreb, (IKA) – The opening of the scientific conference Archbishop Stepinac and the Serbs in Croatia in the Context of World War II and the Postwar Period was held on Tuesday, November 24, in the Vijenac Auditorium of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute in Zagreb. This meeting, organized by the Zagreb Archdiocese and the Catholic University of Croatia, has aroused great attention and attracted a large number of interested persons, so that it was also watched in Auditorium 2 via a video link.
The conference was attended by the Archbishop Josip Cardinal Bozanić of Zagreb; the President of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Archbishop Želimir Puljić of Zadar; Archbishop Ivan Devčić of Rijeka and Archbishop Đuro Hranić of Đakovo-Osijek, as well as a number of Croatian bishops; the Representative of the President of the Republic of Croatia, AndroKrstičevićOpara; several ambassadors accredited in the Republic of Croatia and the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the Holy See, Neven Peličarić. Also present were representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Mufti Aziz Hasanović, representatives of other religious communities in the Republic of Croatia, and figures in public, cultural and political life, as well as professors and students from the Catholic schools.
Welcoming those present, Cardinal Bozanić said he was very pleased that this conference was being held with the objective of conducting a scientific, responsible and open discussion on one of the questions in connection with the life of the Archbishop of Zagreb, the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, which has had a powerful and manifold impact on the present and largely transcended Croatian borders.
The Cardinal observed that it is clear according to the proposed lectures that the attitude of Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac toward Serbs in Croatia during a relatively brief historical period needs to be viewed against the background of the turmoil in Europe and the world following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the emergence of various aspirations that gave birth to new state entities. It also needs to be viewed in regard to the emergence of new hegemonies and in the vortex formed by the three totalitarianisms that marked the twentieth century: National Socialism (Nazism), fascism and communism.
The purpose of this symposium is to present the facts and their interpretation in a manner that is independent of political interests because by adhering to the scientific method, such facts can be verified by all who encounter them. In this search for the truth, we believe that this symposium will contribute to illuminating Archbishop Stepinac’s attitude toward the members of the Serbian nation in Croatia and toward the Serbian Orthodox Church, said Cardinal Bozanić, and continued: “The Archbishop’s life and activity have become a prism through which various nuances have passed in relation to the Croatian faithful, the Croatian nation and its yearning for freedom and a state, both during the time of his office and afterwards. It is interesting to see when and why tensions arise in the area generally called Croatian-Serbian relations. This requires answers to a series of questions, as follows: Why is it that until a certain period, there were no marked difficulties in Croatian-Serbian relations and what were the causes for their occurrence? In what way are political relations refracted in the life of the Church? Where in all of this is the place of the Archbishop of Zagreb, Alojzije Stepinac? How did he position himself through his thoughts, words and deeds? What did he do and what did he not do? Upon what grounds was the Archbishop accused and is being accused today? On the basis of the documents available today, should he be condemned or viewed as a paragon?”
In this context, Cardinal Bozanić reiterated that “for us Catholics, Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac is a beatus and we believe that he will soon be declared a saint by the Catholic Church. As Catholics, this fact inspires us to try to know him even better. Thus, as believers, through the truth we want to reach everything that made him worthy of liturgical veneration and a model for following Jesus Christ. By focusing more on spirituality, we become more committed to every approach that presents the truth honorably, and we are grateful to everyone whose historiographic work and historical research have contributed to protecting Archbishop Stepinac from being subjected to arbitrary manipulation.” In conclusion, Cardinal Bozanić expressed the hope that this meeting, where experts were to be present, would contribute to Pope Francis’ initiative to move forward toward a better understanding of the life and work of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac.
Such symposia are particularly important for new generations, for whom we are responsible, as the spiritual shepherds and holders of political power were responsible at that time. This responsibility does not permit us to allow the young to be fed untruths but we must help them encounter the truth, concluded Cardinal Bozanić.
The conference participants were also addressed by the Rector of the Catholic University of Croatia, Prof. Dr. ŽeljkoTanjić, who noted that in the Apostolic Constitution Ex corde EcclesiaebySt. John Paul II, which is devoted to Catholic universities, Item 30 states the following: “The basic mission of a university is a continuous quest for the truth through its research and the preservation and communication of knowledge for the good of society.” In keeping with this idea, the Grand Chancellor of our university, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, wrote the following in his decree on the founding of our the Catholic University of Croatia, De luceverailluminata: “It is my wish for the Catholic University of Croatia to be capable of conducting an impartial investigation of the truth and to preserve and transmit knowledge.” From the very beginning our University, within the range of its capabilities, has remained faithful to this task and mission: the search for the truth. Therefore, we were not surprised by the proposal and incentive from our Grand Chancellor that we organize a scientific meeting devoted to the question of the attitude of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, the protector of our University and the Serbs in Croatia in the context of World War II and the postwar period, and this with the specific goal that the truth about Cardinal Stepinac should become even clearer, said Rector Tanjić. He thanked everyone who had made this meeting possible, “this feast of intellectual love and desire for the truth, all in the hope that we shall, at the incentive of Pope Francis and our Grand Chancellor, listen to each other, converse and become increasingly open to the TRUTH, written in capital letters, while also recognizing the mutual wounds and pain that we as Christians are called to see and heal for the good of us all, especially the Croatian society, especially for the good of the Croats and Serbs in it and all the citizens of Croatia, and in the hope for a blessed future, I am certain, in mutual love and respect.”
He expressed particular gratitude to the lecturers, especially Dr. Esther Gitman, who traveled from New York for this occasion and had presented a lecture the day before. He also thanked the representatives from Belgrade, as well as the media, which had shown great interest in the conference.
The Student Choir of the Catholic University of Croatia participated in the opening of the conference.