Jugoslavian Move Towards Vatican

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31584, 23 January 1968, Page 11

Jugoslavian Move Towards Vatican

<N.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright) BELGRADE, January 22. Jugoslavia is expected some time this year to become the second Communist country in the world to establish full diplomatic relations with the Vatican, according to informed sources.

They say the Jugoslav Minister (Mr Mika Spiljak) and Pope Paul reached agreement in principle about this when Mr Spiljak called on the Pope at the Vatican on January 10. At present Cuba is the only Communist country which has full diplomatic relations with the Vatican. In June, 1966, Jugoslavia signed a protocol with the Holy See establishing quasidiplomatic relations. The government of President Tito had broken relations with the Vatican 12 years earlier when the late Pope Pius XH appointed Archbishop Alois Stepinac a cardinal while he was serv-

ing a prison sentence for alleged war crimes. ’ Since the signing of the 1966 protocol, Jugoslavia and the Vatican have exchanged official representations. One factor which is making the Government proceed somewhat cautiously on this matter, the sources say, is opposition to closer ties with the Vatican in the principal Jugoslav republic of Serbia. The population of Serbia is predominantly Serbian orthodox or non-believing, but perhaps, more important, there is strong hostility in Serbia toward Croatia and Slovenia, both predominantly Roman Catholic. Ony move towards closer Jugoslav ties with the Vatican would be interpreted by many Serbs as favouritism toward these two republics. On the other hand, Jugoslavia is believed to want full relations because of the obvious popularity the Government would reap in Croatia and Slovenia from such a move.

The informants say the Vatican’s increasingly open stand on co-operation with East European Communist regimes has also influenced the Jugoslavs, as has Pope Paul’s attempts to achieve peace in Vietnam.

Diving Record. —• Three American and Italian skindivers claimed a world record today after reaching a depth of 262 feet in a lake at the foot of Monte Cavallo, in Italy. The earlier record was claimed by an Italian team from Trieste, in March last year, when they reached a depth of 210 feet in the same lake.—Poredone, Italy, Jan. 21.