Croatian and Serbian experts have met at the Vatican to clarify questions about the life of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac – a national hero for Croats and a highly controversial figure for Serbian Orthodox and some Jewish groups who have accused him of being a Nazi sympathiser.
The commission, which held its first meeting on July 12-13, is made up of representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church in Croatia and the Vatican. It was created at the request of Pope Francis to conduct "a re-reading together" of the cardinal's life before, during and after the Second World War "to respond to the need to clarify some questions of history", the Vatican press office said in a written communique this week.
