▁countries ▁( e . g ., ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁states ), ▁local ▁co operation ▁with ▁the ▁Naz is ▁exped i ated ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁almost ▁all ▁local ▁Roman i . ▁In ▁Cro atia , ▁the ▁Cro at ian ▁collabor ators ▁of ▁the ▁U sta še , ▁were ▁so ▁v icious ▁only ▁a ▁minor ▁rem nant ▁of ▁Cro at ian ▁Roman i ▁( and ▁Jews ) ▁surv ived ▁the ▁kill ings . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁West ▁Germany ▁formally ▁recognized ▁that ▁gen o cide ▁had ▁been ▁committed ▁against ▁the ▁Roman i . ▁Before ▁this ▁they ▁had ▁often ▁claimed ▁that , ▁unlike ▁Jews , ▁Roma ▁and ▁Sint i ▁were ▁not ▁target ed ▁for ▁ra cial ▁reasons , ▁but ▁for ▁" c riminal " ▁reasons , ▁inv oking ▁ant iz igan ist ▁s tere ot ype . ▁In ▁modern ▁Hol oca ust ▁scholar ship ▁the ▁Por aj mos ▁has ▁been ▁increasing ly ▁recognized ▁as ▁a ▁gen o cide ▁committed ▁simultaneously ▁with ▁the ▁Sho ah . ▁ ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁takes ▁responsibility ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁Pope ▁John ▁Paul ▁II ▁issued ▁a ▁formal ▁public ▁ap ology ▁to , ▁among ▁other ▁groups ▁of ▁people ▁affected ▁by ▁Catholic ▁per sec ution , ▁the ▁Roman i ▁people ▁and ▁begg ed ▁God ▁for ▁forg iveness . ▁On ▁June ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁acknowled ged ▁during ▁a ▁meeting ▁with ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁Roman i ▁community ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ' s ▁history ▁of