In a prison cell with Archbishop Stepinac

Title

Creator

Sulzberger, C. L.

Language

English

Year

1951

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

In a prison cell with Archbishop Stepinac By C. L. SULZBERGER Archbishop Aloysius Stepinoc, the leading Roman Gotholic prelate of Yugoslovia, said in an interview with this correspondent on Nov. 11, in a cell at Lepoglava Prison that it wos o motter of complete indifference to him whether he was liberated or not. The Archbishop said he wos content to suffer on behalf of his church and that his future depended not upon Marshal Tito or his Government but only upon the Holy See. Five days ago Marshal Tito, the Yugoslav Premier, soid that it was possible Archbishop Stepinac might in the future be removed from Lepoglavo, where he is incarcerated following his conviction on charges of being a war criminal, and that he might be sent to o monastery within Yugoslavia or, possibly, be permitted to leave the country if it were judged useful to the national interest. The condition imposed by Morshal Tifb wos thot the prelate should never return to Yugoslavia to function os We spoke in French, which no one else in the room understood. The Archbishop apologized for his French, saying he wos far more fluent in Italian and Germon. Nevertheless, he has mastered the language. "Monseigneur," I said, " could you tell me what the state of your health is?" He replied, still standing: "I feel well. I om in no woy, ill. I hove lost no weight since I come here four years ggo." I then asked the Archbishop how he occupied his time. He said he devoted many hours to prayer, contemplation ond, ot the moment, to the translation of a work on the lives of the saints. He is studying church history. He showed me the work he was engaged in exomining,: A Latin tome on the Franciscan order by on Irish prelate named Wadding. I osked whether it was difficult for him to receive reading material. My three escorts stood silently by and I am convinced they understood not- one word of the conversation. As for the Archbishop, it became evident as the interview progressed that he could not core less. He told me he received books continually. Most of them ore brought 24 APRIL, 1951 25 by his sister, who visits him every month, he said. He complained, however, that oil the reading material, even ecclesiastical, wos first scrutinized by the prison censors. He said he hod no occess to newspapers; that he especially missed I'Osservatore Romano, the journal of the Vatican, which he described as "prohibited." I asked him if he wos in touch with the world outside the prison walls. He replied, "Letters ore not strictly forbidden. But they are subjected to censorship. Therefore I do I then explained to the Archbishop whot Marshal Tito hod said to me concerning the possibilities of his release either to o Roman Catholic monastery within Yugoslavia or to exile—On condition thot he should never return. He stood there silently for a moment, dressed in his block clerical garb, one hand upon Wadding's ecclesiastical history, absolutely motionless. Then, in a calm and quiet voice he replied: "Whether I go to a monastery, or whether I remoin here, or whotever should happen to me, I am utterly indifferent. "Such things do not depend upon Marshal Tito. They depend only upon the Holy Father, the Pope, and upon no one else." — Crusoder, Nov. i 8, 1950 The Oblate Fathers of St. Joseph wish to announce the opening of a new concrete Seminary building to house Filipino boys who have inclination to the religious life. Anyone who has religious vacation or who wishes to become a religious priest may ask for a prospectus from the REV. FR. SUPERIOR ST. JOSEPH'S MISSIONARY INST. SAN JOSE, BATANGAS

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