Source: Elite Infuence? Religion, Economics, and the Rise of the Nazis

The rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in 1930s Germany had a profound impact on every aspect of life, including the religious sphere. The Catholic Church, which held significant influence in Germany at the time, was faced with a moral and political dilemma. On one hand, they needed to protect their own interests, and on the other, they needed to respond to the growing influence of the Nazi regime, which promoted a radical form of nationalism and anti-Semitism. This article explores the complex relationship between the Catholic Church and Nazi Party members, as well as the excommunication of some high-profile Nazi members from the Church.

The Catholic Church in 1930s Germany

The Catholic Church in Germany was a powerful institution with millions of adherents. It operated schools, hospitals, and numerous other social services, and held significant sway over the spiritual and moral lives of Germans. However, the rise of the Nazi Party and the ensuing repression of religious freedom and individual rights presented a challenging situation for the Church.

The Nazis and the Catholic Church

The Nazi regime, which came to power in 1933, sought to control all aspects of public and private life, including the Church. The Nazis sought to reduce the influence of the Church and replace traditional Christian values with Nazi ideology. While the Catholic Church was initially cautious in its interactions with the regime, tensions began to mount as the Nazis promoted anti-Semitic policies, conducted euthanasia programs, and suppressed religious freedom.

Pope Pius XI and Mit brennender Sorge

During the 1930s, the Catholic Church, led by Pope Pius XI, expressed concerns about the totalitarian nature of the Nazi regime and its anti-Christian policies. The encyclical “Mit brennender Sorge” (With Burning Concern), issued in 1937, condemned the Nazi regime’s violations of the Church’s rights and the dignity of the human person.

On Hitler:

17. … Should any man dare, in sacrilegious disregard of the essential differences between God and His creature, between the God-man and the children of man, to place a mortal, were he the greatest of all times, by the side of, or over, or against, Christ, he would deserve to be called prophet of nothingness, to whom the terrifying words of Scripture would be applicable: “He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them” (Psalms ii. 3).

On Nazi Pride:

27. Humility in the spirit of the Gospel and prayer for the assistance of grace are perfectly compatible with self-confidence and heroism. The Church of Christ, which throughout the ages and to the present day numbers more confessors and voluntary martyrs than any other moral collectivity, needs lessons from no one in heroism of feeling and action. The odious pride of reformers only covers itself with ridicule when it rails at Christian humility as though it were but a cowardly pose of self-degradation.

On Defense of Natural Law:

30. … Human laws in flagrant contradiction with the natural law are vitiated with a taint which no force, no power can mend. In the light of this principle one must judge the axiom, that “right is common utility,” a proposition which may be given a correct significance, it means that what is morally indefensible, can never contribute to the good of the people. But ancient paganism acknowledged that the axiom, to be entirely true, must be reversed and be made to say: “Nothing can be useful, if it is not at the same time morally good” (Cicero, De Off. ii. 30). Emancipated from this oral rule, the principle would in international law carry a perpetual state of war between nations; for it ignores in national life, by confusion of right and utility, the basic fact that man as a person possesses rights he holds from God, and which any collectivity must protect against denial, suppression or neglect.

Excommunication of Nazi Party Members

As a response to the growing tension, some high-ranking members of the Catholic Church in Germany took a bold step: they excommunicated Nazi Party members who held positions that conflicted with Catholic teachings. The most notable excommunication came from Blessed Clemens August Graf von Galen, the Bishop of Münster.

Bishop von Galen and Excommunication

Bishop von Galen, a vocal critic of the Nazi regime, gained international attention for his sermons against the euthanasia programs and other atrocities committed by the Nazis. In his sermons, Bishop von Galen openly condemned the actions of the Nazi government and declared that Catholics who actively supported the Nazis were putting their faith at risk. He argued that adherence to Nazi ideology was incompatible with Catholic teachings.

The bishop’s stance was courageous, given the climate of fear and repression in Nazi Germany. His excommunication order did not target all Nazi Party members but rather those who held prominent positions within the regime or engaged in actions contrary to Catholic doctrine.

Legacy and Impact

The excommunication of Nazi Party members by Bishop von Galen was a symbolic act that underlined the tension between the Catholic Church and the Nazi regime. While it did not lead to widespread changes in Nazi policy or actions, it demonstrated the Church’s resistance to Nazi ideology and a commitment to its moral teachings.

Conclusion

The excommunication of Nazi Party members by the Catholic Church in 1930s Germany was a courageous response to the moral and political challenges posed by the Nazi regime. The Church, particularly through the actions of Bishop von Galen, made a clear statement that Nazi ideology was incompatible with Catholic teachings. While this act did not bring an end to the Nazi regime, it serves as a testament to the Church’s unwavering commitment to its moral principles during one of the darkest periods in history.