Ustashe Victims Commemorated in Jadovno

Bishop Gerasim (Popovic) of Gornyo-Karlovac earlier today celebrated the Divine Liturgy and a memorial on the site of the Jadovno concentration camp in western Croatia, where during World War II the Croatian Ustashe killed roughly 38,000 Serbs and 2,000 Jews. The services were attended by pilgrims from throughout Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia, many of whom had relatives who died in the Jadovno camp. More (in Serbian) here.

Memorial Church for Utashe Victims Opened in Bosnia

The foundations of a chapel in Stari Brod, Bosnia, erected in memory of 6,000 Serbs killed there by the Ustashe in 1942 have been consecrated by a representative of Metropolitan Nokolaj of Sarajevo of the Serbian Orthodox Church, with a memorial also being served for the Ustashe victims. More (in Serbian) here.

"Shades of Grey: The Record of Archbishop Stepinac"

An excellent survey on why many have reservations over the veneration of Roman Catholic Archbishop Alojzije Cardinal Stepinac of Zagreb can be found here. Yes, the biases and past political associations of the author, Srdja Trifkovic, are well known. They do not, however, change Cardinal Stepinac's words or actions, and the article is therefore worth a read.

Roman Catholic Pope Visits Stepinac's Grave in Croatia

During his recent visited to Croatia Pope Benedict XVI of the Roman Catholic Church visited the grave of beatified Archbishop Alojzije Cardinal Stepinac of Zagreb, accused of collusion with the pro-Nazi Ustashe regime in its attempts to ethnically cleanse Croatia of Serbs and Jews, and praised him as 'a defender of the Jews, the Orthodox and of all the persecuted.' More here.

St. Platon of Banja Luka

Christ is risen! Joyous feast! St. Platon was a clergyman and hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church who served in both pre-WWI Serbia and royal Yugoslavia, eventually being elected Bishop of Banja Luka in Bosnia.

When what today is Bosnia-Herzegovina was occupied by Ustashe Croatia during World War II St. Platon was ordered to leave his diocese. He refused, however, saying that he had bound himself "to take care of [his] spiritual flock permanently and firmly, regardless of any events." The day following St. Platon's reply he was arrested by the Ustashe, taken out of the city, tortured, and martyred, with his relics eventually being recovered from the Vrbanja River and being enshrined in Banja Luka's cathedral.

The Serbian Orthodox Church formally glorified St. Platon as a new hieromartyr in 1998. More on his life can be found here. May his blessing and prayers be with us all!