Catholic clergy involvement with the Ustaše

During World War II a number of Croat Catholic priests, and some of the then bishops in the territory, cooperated with the Ustaša regime of Ante Pavelić, who pursued a genocidal policy against the Eastern Orthodox Christians, Jews and Roma. Many not only cooperated with the regime but personally committed murders or forced religious conversions of Serbs and Jews.

By the end of the war, a large number of people who were in connection with the fascist regime, including many priests, fled Croatia (and many fled Europe altogether). According to some sources there were about 1,500 priests among the exiles, many of which flew in order to escape justice.

Here follows an incomplete list of those people:

A

ARSAMOVIC, Dr. ANTUN: Djakovo Catholic bishop. Decorated by Pavelic. Used scare and terror tactics to force Orthodox Serbs into conversion. Took over Serbian Orthodox churches in his jurisdictional area in the name of Catholic Church. He ordered the destruction of many Orthodox churches such as those in Bracevci, Major, Poucje, Depsin, Tenje, Dalj, Markusica, Kapelna, Kucanci, Budimci, Poganovci, Bijelo Brdo, Borovo Selo, Trpinje, Bobota, Pacetin, Brsadin, Cepin, Martinci Cepinski, Trnjani, Klokocevik, Topolje, and Brod na Savi. He followed the directives in the 'The Return to the Faith of our Fathers,' written and published by the Institute of St. Jeronim (St. Girolamo) in Zagreb which was under the direct control of Archbishop Stepinac.
ALAUPOVIC, ANTE: Catholic priest in New Sarajevo. Close friend and associate of Archbishop Saric and Jasenovac killer Max Luburich. Under his leadership, the property of the Serbian Cultural Society 'Prosveta' in Sarajevo was pillaged and destroyed. Very active Ustaša. Decorated by Fascist Ante Pavelic.
ANDERLIC, Dr. VILKO: Catholic curate in Sotin and a very active Ustaša who used terror extensively to force Serbs to convert to Catholicism, threatening those that didn't with death.
ANDRASEC, Fra DIONIZIJE: Franciscan priest who was a very active Ustaša and a close associate of Bishop Aksamovic. Personally went to Serbian churches, pillaging them, then setting them on fire. Used torture and terror to force Serbs to convert to Catholicism. Decorated by Fascist Ante Pavelic.
ANTIC, Don PETAR: Catholic priest who worked very closely with Fra Dr. Bilobrk, a curate in Metkovic who called on all Croats to use axes, hoes and scythes to slaughter Serbs rather than 'expensive' bullets.
ASTALOS, JOSIP: Catholic curate in Dalj and Osijek. Considered a Croatian intellectual. Participated in the sadistic tortures of Serbs in Dalj and Erdut. During the night, he arrested women, took them to a basement, and forced them to completely undress. Organized several Ustaša killing bands. Personally arrested the first 25 Serbs in Dalj, torturing them for several days, then killed them all. An extreme sadist. Decorated by Fascist Ante Pavelic.

B

BAIER, VIRTOR: Catholic priest who used terror extensively to force Serbs to convert to Catholicism.
BAKULA, Fra ANTE: Croatian Catholic priest who organized the slaughter of several thousand Serbs during mid 1942. He personally participated in the slaughters in the county of Hrasno. Decorated by fascist Ante Pavelic.
BALICEVIC, DR. MARRO: Catholic curate who terrorized Serbs to force them to convert to Catholicism.
BANDIC, Fra BRANRO: Franciscan priest in Derventa. Personally took a band of Ustaša killers to the Serbian village of Hrvacani where he had 120 Serbs arrested. All were taken to Banja Luka where they were tortured. All 120 were then slaughtered. Fra Bandic participated personally in the killings.
BARAC, DOMINIRO: Catholic catechist who committed numerous atrocities against Serbs in the area of Dubrovnik. Organized terrorist groups of Croats who went through Serbian villages, killing men, women, and children, and pillaging their properties.
BARBARIC, Dr. MLADEN: Croatian professor and priest who terrorized Serbs into converting to Catholicism. Personally participated in slaughtering Serbs. Decorated by Fascist Ante Pavelic.
BECRER, IVAN: Catholic priest in Trnjani. Gave an ultimatum to all Serbs in his area to either convert to Catholicism within 30 days or face a brutal death.
BEDRICA, Fra GABRO: Franciscan priest. Very active Ustaša and terrorist.
BENRO, FRAN: Franciscan priest and terrorist. Very active Ustaša.
BENKOVIC, AMBROZIJE: Catholic curate and terrorist. Very active Ustaša.
BERROVIC, Fra Dr. PETAR: Head of the Catholic deans in Drnish. Personally participated in the slaughter of Serbs in Knin and Drnish. He was also present during the infamous slaughter of Serbs in the Serbian Orthodox Church at Glina, known as the Glina massacre.
BILOBRK, Dr. VLADO: Catholic curate in Metkovic. Called on all Croats to use pick-axes, hoes, and scythes to slaughter Serbs, because they weren't worth wasting Croatian bullets on. On April 27, 1941 he was one of the first Croatian clerics to organize the massacres of Serbs. With his band of killers, he slaughtered hundreds of them on the bank of the Neretva River and, had their bodies thrown into the water. At the end of 1943, on his insistence, 107 women, children, and old men were slaughtered in the villages of Sipka, Cilum and Pepsko Blato. Insisting that all Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia must be executed for fear if they were simply expelled, they would return to their homes. Dr. Vlado was decorated by Ante Pavelic.
BILOGRIVIC, Msgr. Dr. NIROLA: Catholic curate from Banjaluka. Enjoyed torturing his Serbian victims. He liked to watch the blood draining from their bodies as they slowly died.
BINICKI, Dr. FRAN: Catholic curate in Licki Osik. Very active Ustaša and terrorist. Hundreds of Serbs were slaughtered in the basement of his home. Twice decorated by Ante Pavelic.
BIRGER, JULIJE: Catholic deacon who used terror extensively to force Serbs to convert to Catholicism.
BIRT, BRANRO: Catholic priest in Fenicani. Used terror and torture to force Serbs to convert to Catholicism.
BISRUPOVIC, Don ANTE: Catholic curate in Praznici who preached from the pulpit of his church that 'all Serbs in Croatia should be executed.'
BJELOROSIC, Don IVAN: Catholic priest in Lisac. Committed numerous atrocities against Serbs in the area of Dubrovnik.
BLAZEVIC, GRGA: Catholic priest in Bosanski Novi where he organized a concentration camp for Serbs and made himself commander of it. Many Serbs who were arrested were slaughtered in this camp on his orders. He insisted that he was doing what Archbishop Stepinac wanted and expected of him. For his work on behalf of the 'Croatian cause' he was decorated by fascist Ante Pavelic.
BOCRMAN, JOSIP: Catholic priest in Sanski Most where he participated in the slaughter of Serbs. Very active in the establishment of the concentration camp in the area. Decorated by Pavelic.
BOLOROVIC, Fra GRUJO: Franciscan priest who was a volunteer chaplain in the Ustaša Army. Participated in the slaughter of Serbs. Decorated by Pavelic.
BOSNJAR, Don NIKOLA: Catholic curate in Prenje where he organized widespread massacres of Serbs, not sparing women, children, or old men. Chaplain in the Ustaša Army.
BRADARIC, Fra STANRO: Franciscan priest who personally slaughtered hundreds of Serbs.
BRAJROVIC, SLAVRO: Catholic curate and terrorist. Very active Ustaša.
BRALO, BOZIDAR: Catholic priest in the St. Joseph church in Sarajevo. Organized the slaughter of 180 Serbs on the Alipasa Bridge. After killing them, he danced the Croatian national dance, the Circle Dance, around their bodies before their bodies were thrown into the river. He organized a large number of Moslems from Sarajevo into slaughtering bands. These Moslem groups were responsible for the brutal deaths of thousands of Serbs in the area of Sarajevo. Bralo also murdered thousands of Serbs in the concentration camp Jasenovac. He was a member of the Ustaša Parliament, together with Archbishop Stepinac. Personally slaughtered Serbs in the villages of Sabalj, Marsic-Gaj, Piskavica, Ponira, Biljevina, Kozara mountain, Sanski Most, Kamengrad and Grmec. Decorated by Pavelic.
BREKALO, ZVONKO: Catholic priest who engaged personally in the mass slaughters of Serbs in the concentration camp Jasenovac. Decorated by Pavelic.
BRKAN, Fra IVO: Franciscan priest from Koraca (Bosnia) who was responsible for the arrest of about 500 Serbs who were taken to the concentration camps in Luzane, Muratovac, and Derventa. From there, they were taken to the camp in Slavonski Brod where they were brutally tortured. None of the innocents ever returned home.
BRKIC, Fra MARIJAN: Franciscan priest. Active Ustaša. Repeatedly urged Croats to take up arms to kill the Orthodox Serbs.
BRKLJACIC, Dr. IVAN: Trained to be a Catholic priest, he loved to torture Serbs to death. In 1943 he was named commander of the Jasenovac death camp. The second Catholic cleric to be made commander there. Prior to his 'promotion,' he was in Stara Gradiska where he was responsible for the slaughter of over 2,000 Serbian women.
BRZICA, PETAR: Catholic cleric from the monastery of Siroki Brijeg. Member of the 'Great Brotherhood of Crusaders.' This notorious 'King of the Killers.' won a contest held in Jasenovac based on who could kill the most Serbs in the shortest period of time. Fr. Brzica won. In the course of the night of Auqust 29. 1942, he cut the throats of 1,350 people with his own hands.
BUBANJ, MARTIN: Catholic priest in Susak. Personally participated in the executions of Serbs.
BUCONIC, Don ANTE: Catholic priest. Active Ustaša who organized the slaughter of Serbs in the county of Stolac. Chaplain in the Ustaša Army.
BUJANOVIC, JOLE: Catholic priest who was the director of the Catholic parishes in the Lika and Gacka areas. Slaughtered Serbs indiscriminantly, then pillaged their properties. Organized Ustaša 'storm' units, consisting of the worst dregs of the Croatian criminal element, who were sent to slaughter Serbs throughout the province of Lika. Insisted that no Serb must survive in the Croatian state. Insisted that that was the aim of His Holiness, the Pope. As late as February 1945, he hung 60 Serbs in Gospic. He was decorated by Pavelic.
BULJAN, LADISLAV: Catholic priest in Zavidovici where he was a central personality in the Ustaša movement. Initiated many of the slaughters of the Serbian people in that region. Personally participated in the slaughters.
BURGER, JULIJE: Croatian Catholic dean in Podravska Slatina who used terror to force Serbs to convert to Catholicism.
BURIC, Dr. VIRTOR: Catholic bishop from Senj. One of the three members of the 'Bishops Committee for the Forced Conversion of Serbs.' The other two members were Archbishop Stepinac and Janko Simrak. He was decorated by Pavelic.
BUZUK, Fra MIROSLAV: Franciscan priest and active Ustaša who participated in massacres. He was a curate in Lasina and was decorated by Pavelic.

C

CALUSIC, Fra MARRO: Catholic priest of St. Ante in Sivsa. Organized and led a group of killers in Sivsa, killing hundreds of Serbs. Decorated by Pavelic.
CAREV, Don JOZO: Catholic priest in Neoric and an active Ustaša who personally participated in the slaughters of Serbs. Used the pulpit to preach that 'all Serbs must be destroyed.'
CRADA, MILIVOJ: Catholic priest in Gornja Zenica. All the atrocities against Serbs in that area were initiated by him.
CONDRIC, IVAN: Catholic curate who organized terrorist and killer groups, leading them to Serbian villages where they killed indiscriminantly and pillaged without mercy.
CORIC, Fra DIDAR: Franciscan priest in Tomislavgrad. Organized the massacres of Serbs in Nevesinje and Berkovici. Twice decorated by Pavelic.
COSIC, ALOJZIJE: Catholic priest in Kotor Varos who participated personally in the slaughter of Serbs. Chaplain in the Ustaša Army. Decorated by Pavelic.
CISIC, FRANJO: Catholic priest and active Ustaša who used terrorism to force Serbs to convert to Catholicism.
CUCROVIC, IVO: Catholic curate from Slano where some of the first mass slaughters of Serbs took place and in which he personally participated. Decorated by Pavelic.
CUJIC, Fra MILO: Franciscan priest in Duvno. Personally participated in massacres in Prisoja and Vila.
CULINA, Fra ANSELMO: Catholic priest who was personally killing inmates of Jasenovac. He committed all of his murders with a small knife that he liked to show to his victim before killing them. He carried this knife with him at all times, even when holding church services for the Croat soldiers in the camp. Decorated by Pavelic.
CURIC, Fra VLADISLAV: Catholic priest in Bilo. Terrorized Serbs into converting to Catholicism. He organized and led marauding bands of Ustase killers to Serbian villages arresting Serbs indiscriminantly and pillaging their properties.

D

DARESIC, Don NIKO: Catholic curate in Trsten. Pointed out the Serbs in Trsten and the surrounding area that were to be executed.
DEMAN, Don MARTIN: Catholic curate.in Praznici. Preached from the pulpit that all Serbs in Croatia should be killed.
DJURIC, ANTE: Catholic priest in Divusa. Chief of the Ustaša Police in Dvor na Uni. Organized bands of killers and sent them to various Serb villages to slaughter the men, women, and children. He instructed them specifically not to spare women and children. After the killings, he absolved all of the murderers of their sins. He was an extreme sadist. He would arrest Serbs, locking them up in his stable, where he tortured them for hours before killing them. He insisted from the church pulpit that the Serbian question in Croatia could only be solved with the 'steel broom' (the gun). In his journal, he noted that on April 14, 1941 (four days after the establishment of The Independent State of Croatia) he went to Zagreb to ask for instructions from Stepinac and then, he continued in his journal: 'I met with the leaders of all the surrounding parishes, and we agreed what we need to do.' The following day, he arrested a number of Serbian women, forced them to undress and ride naked on horses through the Croatian villages in his area. Then he slaughtered them. He was decorated by fascist Ante Pavelic.
DOBRECIC, NIKOLA: Catholic priest and chaplain in the Ustaša Army. Chief of the Ustaša Police in Dvorna Uni.
DORESIC, NIKOLA: Catholic priest who fought as a volunteer on the Eastern Front. Decorated by the Nazis.
DRAGANOVIC, Dr. KRUNOSLAV: Catholic priest and professor at the Catholic Theological University of Zagreb. This Croatian Catholic priest would become the head strategist within the Vatican, called the 'Ratline,' Fr. Draganovic was instrumental in helping thousands of Nazi criminals escape Croatia after the war to the West and to Argentina where they all escaped prosecution. The criminals included fascist Ante Ante Pavelic and his Minister of the Interior Andrija Artukovic, who were ultimately responslble for the murders of nearly one million human beings in The Independent State of Croatia. He was the mastermind of the Ratline. Many of those Nazis he helped to escape are still alive. A very active Ustaša he was decorated by fascist Ante Pavelic. He was also found guilty for war crimes and was jailed for those crimes.

E

ETTINGER, MIJO: Catholic curate in Daruvar. A member of the Ustaša Parliament. Very active Ustaša.

F

FELICINOVIC, Don JOZO: Catholic priest on the Island of Pag where some of the first slaughters of Serbs took place. Was educating Croatian youth on how to 'properly' terrorize Serbs. Personally responsible for the deaths of hundreds of them in the concentration camp on that island. Very active Ustaša. Decorated by Pavelic.
FILIPOVIC-MAJSTOROVIC, MIROSLAV: Commander of Jasenovac concentration camp
FRANROVIC, Fra SILVIJE: Franciscan monk who participated personally in the massacres of Serbs.

G

GABRIC, STJEPAN: Catholic priest in Siroka Kula. Personally participated in the slaughters of Serbs.
GARIC, Fra JOSO: Catholic Bishop in Banja Luka who personally terrorized Serbs in order to force them to convert to Catholicism. Very active Ustaša. Decorated by Pavelic.
GAVRILOVIC, NENAD: Catholic priest who was assigned by Bishop Janko Simrak to take possession of Serbian Orthodox property (namely churches and monasteries) in order to turn them over to the the bishop's residence in Krizevci.
GECINA, MARTIN: Catholic priest in Recica who was a Major in the Ustaša Army. Personally participated in the slaughters of Serbs.
GLAVAS, Fra PETAR: Franciscan priest in Hrvace. An active Ustaša. Testified that Archbishop Stepinac ordered him to support the Ustaša Proqrams. Very active Ustaša. Decorated by Pavelic.
GLAVAS, Dr. RADOSLAV: Franciscan priest and an active Ustaša. On July 4, 1941, the Ustašai newspaper, Hrvatski Narod hailed him as a 'great organizer of the Ustašae.' Responsible for the deaths of many hundreds of Serbs.
GRBAVAC, Fra KARLO: Franciscan priest and active Ustaša who participated extensively in slaughtering Serbs in Duvno. Chaplain in the Ustaša Army.
GREBIC, ANDJELKO: Catholic priest in Borovo who terrorized and tortured Serbs to force them to convert to Catholicism.
GRGUREV, DON IVO Catholic curate in Vodice. Active Ustaša. Personally responsible for hundreds of Serbian deaths during World War II.
GUBERINA, Dr. IVO: Catholic priest and a devout Ustaša. Calling Serbs 'a poison in Croatia,' he wrote in 1943: 'It is the natural right of the Croatian State and the Croatian people to cure its body of such poison...according to all principles of Catholic morality they are assailants, and the state of Croatia has the right to destroy them, even with a knife.'
GUBIC, Fra BOSILJKO: Catholic priest in Volar. He participated personally in the slaughter of Serbs in the villages of Niska Glava, Jugovac, Cikota, and Volar. Used terror and applied various atrocities to force the surviving Serbs to convert to Catholicism. From the pulpit, he called on all Croats to start digging the graves where the bodies of Serbs would be thrown.
GUDELJ, Don MARTIN: Catholic priest in Opuzen. Called on all Croats in his church sermons to begin digging Serbian graves. Organized groups of killers that went with him through the Serbian villages in his jurisdiction, killing the Serbs they found there and pillaging their properties. He killed the children by beheading them with a bayonet. Personally slaughtered 450 men, women, and children. Together with Fra Dr. Bilobrk, he committed great massacres of Serbs on June 28, 1941, Vidovdan, a Serbian national holiday.
GUJIC, EUGEN: Catholic curate in Busovaca (Bosnia) who murdered Serbian priest Djordje Skobic. Called on all Croats to kill all Serbs west of the Drina river (in Bosnia, Herzegovina, Slavonia, Krajina and Croatia)
GVOZDANOVIC, PETAR: Catholic priest. Participated in killings.

H

HERAKOVIC, JANKO: Catholic curate who tortured Serbs, including the Serbian Orthodox priest Jovo Andric, from Tepuljak. Ruthlessly terrorized Serbs to force them to convert to Catholicism.
HERMANN, Fra CASTIMIR: The guardian of the Catholic Monastery of Cutinic. Organized a concentration camp for Orthodox men and women. No one who was sent there came out alive. Decorated by fascist Ante Pavelic.
HERMANN, Dr. FRANJO: Catholic priest who terrorized Serbs to force them to convert to Catholicism.
HORDZIC, STJEPAN: Catholic priest who was a chaplain in the Ustaša Army. Very active Ustaša in Mokro Polje where hundreds of Serbs were tortured and executed.
HRISTIC, Prof. IVAN: Catholic cleric and professor in Sinj. Principally responsible for the deaths of 82 Serbs. On his initiative, the Serbs were thrown alive into the pit in Prolog. As a priest, he led a band of killers to the town of Vrlika where he personally participated in executions. Decorated by Pavelic.