▁integral ▁part ▁of ▁Cro at ▁culture . ▁Histor ian ▁Michael ▁Ph ayer ▁wrote ▁that ▁for ▁the ▁U sta š a , ▁" rel ations ▁with ▁the ▁V at ican ▁were ▁as ▁important ▁as ▁relations ▁with ▁Germany " ▁as ▁V at ican ▁recognition ▁was ▁the ▁key ▁to ▁w ides p read ▁Cro at ▁support . ▁The ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Independent ▁State ▁of ▁Cro atia ▁was ▁wel com ed ▁by ▁the ▁hierarchy ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁and ▁by ▁many ▁Catholic ▁pri ests . ▁Arch bishop ▁Ste pin ac ▁supported ▁Cro atia ' s ▁independence ▁from ▁the ▁Ser b - domin ated ▁Y ug oslav ▁state ▁and ▁arranged ▁an ▁audience ▁with ▁P ius ▁XII ▁for ▁Pav eli ć . ▁ ▁Author ▁Peter ▁Heb ble th wa ite ▁wrote ▁that ▁Pav eli ć ▁was ▁anxious ▁to ▁get ▁diplom atic ▁relations ▁and ▁a ▁V at ican ▁bless ing ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁" C atholic ▁state " ▁but ▁that ▁" Ne ither ▁was ▁forth coming ". ▁Giovanni ▁Mont ini ▁( the ▁future ▁Pope ▁Paul ▁VI ) ▁ad vised ▁Pav eli ć ▁that ▁the ▁Holy ▁See ▁could ▁not ▁recognize ▁front iers ▁changed ▁by ▁force . ▁The ▁Y ug oslav ▁royal ▁leg ation ▁remained ▁at ▁the ▁V at ican . ▁When ▁the ▁King ▁of ▁Italy ▁aver red ▁that ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁S pole to ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁" K ing ▁of ▁Cro atia ", ▁Mont ini ▁ad vised ▁that ▁the ▁Pope ▁could ▁not ▁hold ▁a ▁private ▁audience ▁with ▁the ▁Duke ▁once ▁any ▁such ▁coron ation ▁occurred . ▁ ▁Pav eli ć