The Croatian nightmare. Before leaving this War, it is important to take another trip to old Yugoslavia, where World War I began, you will recall. The place that was making headlines a few years back...and for the same reasons? The extermination of heretics, world control?
In 1941, Yugoslavia is a neutral player in the war efforts of Hitler et al. The country is a blend of cultures and religions. The religions are represented by Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Islam, and Judaism.
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One section of Yugoslavia, Croatia, quite Catholic, welcomes the German invasion and, with the Germans, begins to turn on its fellow-countrymen.
Archbishop Stepinac is Vicar General of the Army in Croatia, an army which begins to slaughter mercilessly all enemies of the faith (as you know from modern headlines, this is called ethnic cleansing). Pigott says that one method was to drive Serbs (the main enemy) inside one of their own Orthodox churches, bolt the doors, and burn the church to the ground.
Muslims, Jews, and gypsies met similar fates.
"At a place called Nevisinje, a Serb family of father, mother, and four children were captured...The mother and children were kept together and starved for a week, and then a savoury dish of roast meat was brought in to them; naturally they ate ravenously enough - and then they were callously informed that they had just eaten some of their husband and father.
There is more. Suffice it to say that even the Germans were appalled at some of the tactics of Catholic Croatians on behalf of Mother Church.
Politically, Croatia has its roots in Hungary, where for eight centuries it was controlled but legally independent.
Then came the Ottoman rule (1526), Turk rule(until 1699) and the Hapsburgs (until 1868).Then it was back to Hungary, and then in 1918 Croatia joined with the Serbs and Slovenes. Later this amalgamation was known as Yugoslavia.
In April of 1941, through the workings of the Vatican at a most opportune time, Croatia took advantage of the situation and declared itself an independent state. It was immediately recognized by Germany and Italy.
Its leader was Ante Pavelic, the head of a fascist terrorist organization called Ustasa. Extreme brutality, violence, and priestly involvement were the trademarks of this group.
In 1945, Croatia was joined with Yugoslavia as a "people's" republic, Communist style, under Tito. From then until 1980 it was relatively stable. Then the vacuum of power created by Tito's death led to the predicament 1990-ers read about daily.
Colliers of September 1943 paints the picture of Pavelic as a guilty war criminal. Indeed he was, and he fled when Naziism and Fascism collapsed. First he ran to Catholic Argentina, then to Catholic Paraguay. From there he went to Catholic Spain. He lived and died a loyal Roman Catholic. And because of this one man, 700,000 men, women and children lost their lives.
Pavelic was aided by Archbishop Stepinac, also accused as a war criminal. On April 28, 1941, Stepinac writes a personal letter asking the Croatian clergy to support and defend Pavelic's Croatia. When, later, Pavelic is running for his life, Stepinac takes charge of the government himself.
The ethnic cleansing syndrome of the 40's in Croatia is made clear by a statement made by Catholic Minister of Justice Zanitch on June 2, 1941. He made it clear that the state of Croatia is for Croats only. No measures would be too severe to clean it of all Orthodox Serbs.
The ways and means: Bury people alive. Concentration camps run by clergy. Terrorist raids. Starvation. Deprivation. Public hangings. Crucifixions...When you shock a Nazi, you're pretty shocking. The Nazis were aghast.
Any sign of shame over these incidents at the time? No. In fact, the resurrection of Croatia is said to be equal to that of Christ. It is heralded as the work of God. The Catholic Croatians, allied to Adolf Hitler, are convinced that since people would not listen to papal encyclicals, they will now listen to other methods, led by Hitler. Sermons will be heard via cannons, machine guns, tanks, and bombers.
Catholic Croatia did not die at the end of World War II. It reappears in terrorist groups all over the world, awaiting its chance to resurface. Which leaves us with a painful but familiar question. What can we expect of Catholic power in the future? Are there Catholic minorities in many lands, waiting their chance to take power?
Is the Catholic Church, in this 20th century, still willing to be coercive, and force itself on the populations it inhabits? Has it learned from its former conquests that people eventually will not be forced?
In partial answer, I offer the words of one of Britain's "all-time greats" of Romanism, Msgr. Ronald Knox,author, Biblical scholar (d. 1957). Knox was especially strong in Roman ways as he had "converted" from Anglicanism. I quote from The Belief of Catholics:
.. You cannot bind over the Catholic Church, as the price of your adhesion to her doctrines, to waive all right of invoking the secular arm in defense of her own principles... The Catholic Church will not be one amongst the philosophies...
This is a partial quote. The full text makes the heart sink, to know that this 20th-century scholar of Rome unabashedly proclaims, Malcolm-X style, that Rome is willing to gain power and keep power by any means necessary. That Rome equates the great saints of the Anabaptist movement with the Communist menaces. That neither parents or educators would be able to keep a Catholic-dominated nation from forcing its children to learn the Catholic ways in the schools of the land. That to be a Catholic is to have normal thinking processes. All other thinking is sub-normal. That all Catholic talk about democracy and liberty is geared only toward the eventual emancipation of Catholicism, after which time all democracy and liberty will cease.
I must sound naive. Of course Rome believes this. The planet is dotted with countries where this very state of affairs exists. Oh believers in Jesus, awaken! Come out of her! Do not share in her program lest you share in her eventual condemnation!
Knox's book was criticized in some quarters, but never banned from Catholic thinking. It stands as a warning to us all.
The Croatian Nightmare (Scarlet Threads - Part Fifty-Five) London 2012 Slalom Canoe Doodle (15.7s) [HQ] Video Clips. Duration : 1.27 Mins.Rating: 4.4545455
On August 9th, 2012 there is the Google Doodle No.14 for London 2012 Slalom Canoe. Slalom Canoe is an extreme sport. The todays Google Doodle is an interactive Doodle like the last two about Hurdles and Basketball. You have to solve a trial as fast as possible. If you pass a gate you become faster. If you crash a stone, a frog or a side wall you will lose some speed. I like the Doodle for London 2012 Slalom Canoe. It is very tricky and you must have a little bit luck, too. Thumbs up for this Doodle! I'm looking forward for your record! Tell me in a commentary! You can play it all the time on www.google.com or on the google homepage today. Tell my if you like the London 2012 Slalom Canoe Doodle. You like the video? Give me a thumb! More information about the London 2012 Slalom Canoe on www.simonrueger.de (german) Music: Beachfromt Celebration Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org
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