catholics suffered more than jews says bishop, page-11

Did gypsies fare worse than the Jews? No doubt they were regarded as the lowest of the low by everyone not just the Nazis but does that make the suffering of the Jews any less which of course it didn’t. Did Catholics suffer under Nazi rule? I am sure there were many – well there were – “grass roots” Catholics who in good conscience and faith opposed the Nazis and died for it. Just as there were many other members of other faiths and atheists who would have in good conscience been unable to support Nazi ideology and stood up to die for their views.

Let’s face it there is good and bad in all faiths/beliefs that’s what being human is all about. BUT the big question comes back to were the heads of the Catholic Church (leaders) guilty of conspiring with the Nazis now that’s a tough question. It is clear they felt powerless to oppose them (that or you wind up dead) so they initiated a policy of appeasement much like the allies had before the war. The argument is then that that way you can work from within the system to try to do what good you can.

Externally there is little chance or so the argument goes. My opinion for what it is worth comes down to a question of faith do you believe in the words of the Bible or not? From a Christian perspective clearly God would never have wanted his followers to have “made a deal with the devil”. As heads of the church they were expected to oppose this evil in every form possible. By “appeasing” the Nazi regime they gave it legitimacy to a degree with the local populace. Is it fair to expect the Catholic Church Leaders to die for their beliefs?

Well God said it was and there reward was in heaven or if the cause was just they would be protected. There lives belonged to God to do what was right with. In short there is no possible argument or excuse the Catholic hierarchy can offer for there “aid” of the Nazis. It was a huge failure plain and simple. But just because the heads/leaders failed we shouldn’t forget the many who did what was right anyway. And as I said that wasn’t limited to Catholics all sorts of people from different beliefs including atheists played their part to oppose the Nazis and help the Jews, Gypsies etc.