▁behind ▁the ▁infl ux ▁of ▁ra cial ▁– ▁not ▁religious ▁– ▁anti - S emit ism ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 ..." ▁"... [ T ] his ▁was ▁a ▁sec ular , ▁not ▁a ▁religious , ▁regime , ▁one ▁that ▁appe aled ▁to ▁( and ▁ultimately ▁per vert ed ) ▁centuries - long ▁Cro at ian ▁trad itions ▁of ▁Roman ▁Catholic ism ▁to ▁initially ▁legit imate ▁its ▁rule ." ▁By ▁ 1 4 ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁– ▁" antic ip ating ▁its ▁select ive ▁conversion ▁policy ▁and ▁event ual ▁goal ▁of ▁gen o cide " ▁– ▁the ▁Cro at ian ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Justice ▁instruct ed ▁the ▁Cro at ian ▁epis cop ate ▁that ▁" p ri ests ▁or ▁school master s ▁or , ▁in ▁a ▁word , ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁intellig ents ia , ▁including ▁rich ▁Orth odox ▁tr ades men ▁and ▁art is ans ", ▁should ▁not ▁be ▁admitted . ▁Those ▁pre cluded ▁from ▁the ▁" coming ▁program ▁of ▁enfor ced ▁conversion " ▁were ▁deport ed ▁and ▁killed , ▁although ▁many ▁who ▁converted ▁or ▁tried ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁met ▁the ▁same ▁fate , ▁anyway . ▁Cro ats ▁appropri ated ▁many ▁Ser bian ▁Orth odox ▁churches ▁as ▁" v ac ated ▁or ▁requ is ition ed ". ▁The ▁Catholic ▁epis cop ate ▁and ▁H K P , ▁the ▁Cro at ian ▁branch ▁of ▁Catholic ▁Action , ▁a ▁lay ▁organization , ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁coord ination ▁and ▁administration ▁of ▁these ▁policies . ▁ ▁Paris ▁notes ▁that ▁more ▁than ▁