▁were ▁not ▁true ▁Christians . ▁P ius ▁XII ▁for et old ▁to ▁Ste pin ac , ▁"[ T ] he ▁hope ▁of ▁a ▁better ▁future ▁seems ▁to ▁be ▁sm iling ▁on ▁you , ▁a ▁future ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁relations ▁between ▁Church ▁and ▁State ▁in ▁your ▁country ▁will ▁be ▁reg ulated ▁in ▁harm on ious ▁action ▁to ▁the ▁advantage ▁of ▁both ." ▁ ▁Under secret ary ▁of ▁State ▁Mont ini ▁( l ater ▁elected ▁Pope ▁Paul ▁VI ) ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁" day - to - day ▁matters ▁concerning ▁Cro atia ▁and ▁Poland ". ▁He ▁reported ▁to ▁P ius ▁XII ▁on ▁a ▁daily ▁basis , ▁and ▁heard ▁of ▁the ▁U sta š a ▁at roc ities ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁Mont ini ▁asked ▁the ▁U sta š a ▁representative ▁to ▁the ▁V at ican , ▁" Is ▁it ▁possible ▁that ▁these ▁at roc ities ▁have ▁taken ▁place ? ", ▁and ▁respond ed ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁view ▁such ▁accus ations ▁with ▁" cons ider able ▁reserve " ▁once ▁the ▁representative ▁called ▁them ▁" lies ▁and ▁propag anda ". ▁Mont ini ' s ▁fellow ▁Under secret ary , ▁D omen ico ▁T ard ini , ▁told ▁the ▁U sta š a ▁representative ▁that ▁the ▁V at ican ▁was ▁willing ▁to ▁indul ge ▁the ▁U sta š a ▁because : ▁" C ro atia ▁is ▁a ▁young ▁state . ▁[...] ▁Young sters ▁often ▁err ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁age . ▁It ▁is ▁therefore ▁not ▁surprising ▁that ▁Cro