Gavranović Zvonimir: In Search of Cardinal Stepinac: A complete Biography

Zvonimir Gavranović: In Search of Cardinal Stepinac: A complete Biography

This is a book that was published in English and was written by a Catholic priest of Croatian origin from Australia, where he works pastorally. "It is significant that the best Croatian and the best English book about Stepinac were written outside of Croatia", says the editor of the book, Jure Krišto, in the preface. Namely, apart from this biographical book, which according to the court of Prof. Kriste, the best written biography of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac in English, the second important book "Alojzije Stepinac, Croatian Cardinal", was written in 1974, and it was written by Father Aleksa Benigar, also abroad, in Italy. "Although the author largely relies on Benigar's biography, in this work many data and sources from the blessed man's life have been updated, so that we have received the most comprehensive and at the same time the most comprehensive biography of the blessed Alojzij Stepinac."

In his introduction prof. Krišto compares Benigar's and Gavranović's books, and based on that it is possible to conclude that they are complementary and together provide a complete picture of the life of the blessed and the circumstances in which it took place, without unnecessarily burdening the readership with documentary-historical data and sources, which are cited, according to the scientific and critical apparatus, mostly only in notes. The biography is beautifully and interestingly written, making it a good read for anyone interested in the holy life of our Stepinac. The Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, also expressed his satisfaction and recommendation of the book in the introductory speech, and an important role for its publication was played by Msgr. Vladimir Stanković, whose afterword is on the book cover.

English description (from the book cover):

The Croatian emigrant publishing house, ZIRAL, published a book by Aleksa Benigar, Alojzije Stepinac, hrvatski kardinal (Aloysius Stepinac, a Croatian Cardinal), in Rome in 1974. It has been in preparation for many years, and many valuable documents were brought to him from Zagreb by me, the personal secretary at that time to Cardinal Franjo Šeper. Professor Jure Krišto, in the Preface of this book, In Search of Cardinal Stepinac, says: »Just as Benigar's book is the best biography of Cardinal Stepinac in the Croatian language, Gavranović's book is certainly the best work about Stepinac in the English language...« It is significant that the best Croatian book and the best English book about Stepinac were written outside Croatia: in Italy and in Australia. And while the author of the first book, Benigar, as a candidate for sainthood, rests in peace at the Franciscan church at Zagreb's Kaptol, Zvonimir Gavranović, an Australian of Croatian origin, is an active parish priest in an Australian Catholic parish.