newspapers, alongside Pavelić and other Ustaše leaders. Although he later sought to distance himself from the Ustaše, especially when it became clear the Axis powers and the Ustaše would lose the war, Stepinac and the hierarchy of Catholic Church in Croatia nevertheless continued to publicly support the Ustaše regime until the very end. In mid-May 1941, Maglione was already noting that Stepinac and other bishops were treading cautiously with the NDH authorities to avoid "compromising themselves" with the Ustaše leadership. In July 1941, no Te Deum was sung at the Zagreb Cathedral in celebration of Pavelić's birthday, which contributed to tension between Stepinac and the Ustaše leader. Yet that same month, at the end of the first NDH Bishop's conference, the bishops were received by Pavelić. Stepinac personally greeted Pavelić and stated that the bishops were visiting him "as the legitimate representatives of the Church of God in the NDH, with the promise of sincere and loyal cooperation for a better future of our homeland". In October 1941, shortly after the Ustaše destroyed the main synagogue in Zagreb, Stepinac preached a sermon in which he said, "A House of God, of whatever religion, is a holy place. Whoever touches such a place will pay with his life. An attack on a House of God of any religion constitutes an attack on all religious communities." (Ivo Goldstein notes that claims that Stepinac said this come from a single individual, and are not confirmed by any other source, despite the fact Stepinac supposedly made the speech in the Zagreb cathedral. Goldstein also notes it's contrary to the rather gentler criticism of Ustaše race laws in well-documented, private-only communications at that time) In November 1941, Stepinac chaired a bishop's conference, during which he heard reports from various bishops within the NDH. What he heard made his enthusiasm wane for the new Croatian state. On 20 November he wrote to Pavelić including some of the reports he had received. He stated that he believed that the worst of the atrocities were over, and that he believed they were the work of individuals. Yet contrary to Stepinac blaming individuals, historians state the Ustaše regime carried out systematic genocidal policies against Jews, Serbs and Roma. The letter did challenge Pavelić, stating that "no-one can deny that these terrible acts of violence and cruelty have been taking place", pointing out that Pavelić himself had condemned the atrocities