Of course, it did not take long for the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) to react to the letter that was sent to them in November last year by the Croatian Bishop’s Conference (HBK), which was published in the Croatian press last week. (And, in all likelihood, there would be no response if the matter did not come out in public!) Patriarch Irinej also took this opportunity to reveal the cards again, to, in essence, highlight the two main goals of SPC in the past years: denouncing the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac and insisting on the confrontation of HBK and the Vatican, especially the Holy Father.

“They complain that we (SPC), have more respect for Pope than them, and they are bothered by this. We have our own opinions about the Pope, unlike them. I do not spread hate, or war, nor do I offend the victims, and I do not expect anything else from them”, said the first man of SPC, announcing that the response to the Croatian bishops would follow at the Synod session scheduled for February 19th.

From the content, as well as from the tone of Irinej, just as well, as from the past work of the Church he leads, there is no doubt in what kind of response can be expected. The main lead will almost certainly be patriarch’s repeatedly stated statement that the position of Serbs in Croatia is the same as it was in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH)...

And in the same mindset as the patriarch’s is the bishop of Bačka, also Irinej, who asks the HBK to prove their innocence. “After all, let the gentlemen prove and show that there are no Ustashe bishops in the HBK! Judging by their statements in the Croatian public, it is easy to conclude that they are not minorities within their Church in Croatia”, claims, this, SPC spokesman.

But circumstances do not go in his favour. Following which, Sunday’s sermon of cardinal Josip Bozanić at Stepinčevo in the Zagreb Cathedral, should be mentioned. The Archbishop of Zagreb said that the citizens of Croatia still wonder how is it possible that the archive material that could help to illuminate the events during the Second World War and the periods thereafter, although it was created in Croatia – is still not in Croatia and remains difficult to reach to those who seek the truth ?!

With Bozanić's remark, the publication of a truly exclusive discovery in the Croatian press, coincided: Archbishop of Zagreb Alojzije Stepinac rescued the Jews, hiding them from the Ustashe at the Hospital of merciful sisters in Zagreb. He did this in agreement with the Jewish municipality of Zagreb. And this war story broke out to the public thanks to the Zagreb entrepreneur of Jewish origin, Marko Danon, who came to the possession of this historically valuable material by contacting the Belgrade Jewish Museum.

From extensive documentation, it is clear that Archbishop Stepinac had an agreement with the Jewish community president Dr. Hugo Khon and with rabbi Miroslav Šalom Freiberger, that Jews who were sent by the Jewish community to the hospital and who guaranteed that they would pay for the treatment of the sent people, would receive the hospital treatment immediately. The deal was implemented until May '43. when Himmler came to Zagreb with the infamous SS. Then Dr. Khon and the rabbi Freiberg were arrested. But the Archdiocese of Zagreb has taken over the costs of treatment since then until the end of the war. It should also be noted that there were 159 nuns working in the hospital and they never reported any of the Jews, to either Gestapo, SS, or Ustashe police, and the penalty for hiding the Jews was - death.

Bozanić's question, in fact, the voice of the people, on Stepinčevo: How is it possible that the archive material that could help and illuminate the events during World War II and after, is not in Croatia (?!), Is still unfortunately, current. But, the discovery reveals the hidden address. Belgrade, of course!

Since we saw how the SPC spokesperson questions the “Ustashe mentality” of the Croatian bishops, and earlier both Irinejs had called blessed Alojzije the “Ustasha Vicar”, it is good to recall of the Quisling past of those who label unpopularly today. In a statement of the Holy Synod of SPC from July 1941. states: “The Holy Synod will loyally execute the laws and orders of the occupying and the earthly authorities, and will influence over their organs in order to maintain order, peace and submission”.

In such an atmosphere, conditions for the execution of Jews in the concentration camps Sajmište - Belgrade and Red Cross in Niš were created, and Prime Minister of Serbia Milan Nedić announced in August '42. that Serbia “solved the Jewish question”. On the basis of which, general Alexander Lohr referred to Hitler: “Serbia - Judenfrei!” In spite of everything, over the past years, with the strong support of some ecclesiastical dignitaries, Nedić's rehabilitation was attempted. By the end of July last year, however, the Belgrade court decided that “based on the evidence and testimonies of the witnesses concluded, the legal conditions for his rehabilitation had not been met”. For now, I am presuming.

So, this Serbian Petain did not posthumously join Chetnik duke Draža Mihailović, who was rehabilitated in the middle of May 2015. “The truth is slow but achievable”, said the delighted patriarch Irinej after the verdict for “Čiča Draža”.

And such a dignitary writes to Pope Francis, how he fears that there is too many opened questions and open wounds that cardinal Stepinac symbolizes, and his canonization would only deepen the wound and the existing differences. “Stepinac’s canonization would, to our great sadness, the Orthodox - Catholic relations, as well as the relations between Serbs and Croats, neighbouring and geographically mixed Christian peoples, undoubtedly, return deeply to our tragic and our Christian unworthy past”, wrote in a letter to Vatican the Patriarch who almost out of happiness shook the flowers on his hat when he heard the good news: And “Čiča” is innocent!