roc ities ▁against ▁both ▁Ser bs ▁and ▁Jews , ▁and ▁himself ▁saved ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Jews ▁in ▁an ▁old ▁age ▁home ." ▁ ▁Ste pin ac ▁shared ▁the ▁hope ▁for ▁a ▁Catholic ▁Cro atia ▁and ▁viewed ▁the ▁Y ug oslav ▁state ▁as ▁" the ▁j ail ▁of ▁the ▁Cro at ian ▁nation ". ▁The ▁V at ican ▁was ▁not ▁as ▁enthus i astic ▁as ▁Ste pin ac ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁formally ▁recognize ▁the ▁U sta š a , ▁instead ▁sending ▁Giuseppe ▁Ram iro ▁Mar con e ▁as ▁an ▁apost ol ic ▁visitor . ▁According ▁to ▁Ph ayer , ▁Ste pin ac , ▁who ▁arranged ▁the ▁meeting ▁between ▁P ius ▁XII ▁and ▁Pav eli ć , ▁was ▁satisfied ▁with ▁this ▁step , ▁view ing ▁it ▁as ▁de ▁fact o ▁recognition ▁and ▁Mar con e ▁as ▁a ▁nun cio ▁in ▁all ▁but ▁name . ▁Ste pin ac ▁began ▁attempting ▁to ▁public ly ▁distance ▁himself ▁from ▁the ▁U sta š a ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁As ▁the ▁U sta še ▁mur ders ▁" in cre ased ▁expon entially " ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁and ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁Ste pin ac ▁fell ▁under ▁" he avy ▁criticism " ▁for ▁the ▁church ' s ▁collaboration , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁yet ▁prepared ▁to ▁break ▁completely ▁with ▁the ▁U sta še . ▁Ph ayer ▁wrote ▁that ▁Ste pin ac ▁gave ▁the ▁U sta še ▁the ▁" ben ef it ▁of ▁the ▁doubt ▁... [ and ] ▁decided ▁on ▁a ▁limited ▁response