Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac - a true Catholic patriot!

Josip Stilinovic wrote an excellent article concerning the life of the Croatian Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac titled "A Patriot, Not a Nationalist". Concerning the semantics of the title, L'Ardito Nazionalista dealt brilliantly with the issue of patriotism vs. Nationalism in his introductory post. Long story short, there's no significant difference between the two concepts.

Anyways, the article gives good details about the life and character of Cardinal Stepinac. Two major themes constantly dominated his worldview: an intense devotion to Christ Our Lord and the Catholic Church along with a staunch loyalty to his Croatian ethnic kin. To him, the two were not opposites but were actually inseparable; one could not be a good Christian without also being a good patriot, and vice versa.

This attitude carried the Cardinal through the many struggles he had to face within his lifetime: from dealing with the pro-Nazi Ustashe regime during World War II(and condemning its many violent excesses and racist ideology) to his heroic resistance to the atheistic Communists which eventually cost him his own life. Stepinac was never afraid to speak the truth and condemn any and all forms of injustice.

Stilinovic cites a very insightful quote made by the Cardinal in March 1938 to a group university student. Although spoken within the context of condemning the racist ideologies that were prevailing throughout many parts of Europe at the time, it nevertheless outlines the basic Catholic position towards loyalty to ones ethnicity and nation:

"Modern racism blames the Church for not falling on her knees in front of its idols. But is ethnicity the highest human value? It is not, because it would otherwise have to be able to fulfill all human strivings and to make man blessed on earth. And that cannot happen; that should be obvious. And eventually, at death, all racial differences disappear. Therefore, man will not be justified in God's judgment by belonging to this or that race, but by honest life and good deeds. So if love toward a nation crosses the borders of sound reason, then it is no longer love, but passion, and passion is neither of use, nor lasting. . . . That is why the Church, in the matters of ethnicity, also puts forward this principle: what you do not want to have done to yourself, do not do to others! Love for a man's own nation must not make a man into a wild animal, which tears down and provokes revenge; it must make him more noble, so that he can gain the respect and love of other nations for his nation. Therefore love toward your own nation is not contradictory to love for the whole of mankind; they complement each other. All of the nations are children of God."

One can read more of Stepinac's statements concerning the relationship between Catholicism and nationalism in his monumental "Three Sermons Against Racism". It truly is great reading material!

Cardinal Stepinac is most certainly a model for all Catholics, and specifically to patriotic Catholics everywhere. I certainly hope one day he will be canonized a saint, since he was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1998.

God Bless You Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac!