." ▁ ▁Ste pin ac ▁called ▁a ▁syn od ▁of ▁Cro at ian ▁b ish ops ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁The ▁syn od ▁appe aled ▁to ▁Pav eli ć ▁to ▁treat ▁Jews ▁" as ▁human ely ▁as ▁possible , ▁considering ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁German ▁troops ▁in ▁the ▁country ." ▁The ▁V at ican ▁replied ▁with ▁pra ise ▁to ▁Mar con e ▁for ▁what ▁the ▁syn od ▁had ▁done ▁for ▁" cit iz ens ▁of ▁Jewish ▁origin ", ▁although ▁Isra eli ▁historian ▁Men ach em ▁Sh el ah ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁syn od ▁concerned ▁itself ▁only ▁with ▁converted ▁Jews . ▁P ius ▁XII ▁personally ▁pra ised ▁the ▁syn od ▁for ▁" cou rage ▁and ▁decis iveness ". ▁Sh el ach ▁has ▁written ▁that : A ▁b ish ops ' ▁conference ▁that ▁met ▁in ▁Zag reb ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁was ▁not ... ▁prepared ▁to ▁den ounce ▁the ▁forced ▁conversion ▁of ▁Ser bs ▁that ▁had ▁taken ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁let ▁alone ▁condem n ▁the ▁per sec ution ▁and ▁murder ▁of ▁Ser bs ▁and ▁Jews . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁that ▁Ste pin ac , ▁the ▁Arch bishop ▁of ▁Zag reb , ▁public ly ▁came ▁out ▁against ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁Cro at ian ▁Jews ▁( most ▁of ▁whom ▁had ▁been ▁killed ▁by ▁that ▁time ), ▁the ▁Ser bs , ▁and ▁other ▁national ities . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁stage , ▁the ▁Cro at ian