Evening star., 1937-03-21


to be established by compulsion with
in the German Evangelical Church.
large sections OF the church simply
ignored the decree. The Protestant
Church struggle was ready for its sec
ond phase
On the Roman Catholic side the
Catholic vice chancellor of the Third
Reich, Franz Won Papen, tried from
the beginning of Hitler's reign to come
to ar arrangement with the Vatican.
Concordat Reached
He continued his labors even after
the German bishops, in their annual
meeting at Fulda on May 81, 1888, had
denounced certain tendencies, especi-
ally the school policy of National So
cialiSm. BY July 8 he had even sue
ceeded in bringing about a concordat
between the Hitler government and
the Holy See.
One Of the principal provisions was
thai Of relegating to the state in
struction of youth in civic concepts
of the Third Reich, but leaving the
religious teaching to the Catholic
Church.
1t soon developed, however, that
Rome and Berlin did not see eye to
eve on this cardinal question of youth
leadership. Hitler, meanwhile, ap-
pointed an avowed nom Christian,
Baldur Won Schirach, as Reichs
youth leader, and Schirach lost no
time claiming "totality" in youth
matters also
Youth rallies were often made to
coincide with the hours for worship
In churches. Speakers frequently
expressed disrespect for men of the
cloth. The Catholics felt that the
concordat was not being lived up to,
and vigorously voiced their protest.
Relations with the Catholic Church,
too, were now about ready for the
second phase
Second Phase.
On July Is, 1886. Adolf Hitler ap-
pointed Hams Kerrl. one of his
trusted lieutenantS and hitherto Prus-
sian minister of justice. as Reich's
minister without portfolio charged
with the administration of church
affairs.
kerrl, an easy-going, conciliatory
NaZl, tried to accomplish BY moral
SuaSlon' and by a spirit of give-and-
take what the tWo-flsted methods of
Jaeger, who had meanwhile been dis
missed, failed to bring about.
After several months of study of
the situation, Kerrl set up so-called
church committees, made up of Nazis,
moderates and, in some cases, even
members of the oppositional Comics
Slonal Synod" These committees
were to iron out the differences and
difficulties.
AS token of good will, many pas
tors languishing in concentration
camps were liberated. Service could
be conducted freely.
On the Catholic side, the situation
during the Kerrl conciliation phase
may be described as one of marking
time. There was a flare-up of feel
ing when, in May, 1886, a series of
sex trials began against Franciscan
lay brethren, but diplomatic back
stage talk after while smoothed
things over.
Struggle Over Definition.
The struggle for definition of the
concordat continued between the
Vatican and the Hitler government
but 1t was a quiet struggle, conducted
chiefly behind the scenes.
Kerrl's policy, like that of Mueller
and Won Papen, failed. Dyed-in-the-
wool Nazis thought Kerrl was too soft
and IN internal meetings of party big
wigs the minister for church affairs
was told he must pound on the table
more and assert his authority.
On the other hand the Protestant
opposition declared that the alleged
conciliatory policy was one of camou-
fiage. They boldly charged the regime
with having the establishment of
heatheniSm or unorthodoX, rather
than Christianity, as its ulterior OBJ
jective.
The Catholics on their part were
that the Hitler regime
did not see in catholicism a ready allv
again bolshevism.
The moment had come, soon after
the Olympic games, during which a
sort OF truce obtained, for the Kerrl
policies to be supplanted by a third
phase in the relations between church
and state.
Third Phase.
From Jealous interest in the church
OF both faiths, the Nazis now turned
to Indifference. Hitler repeatedly told
visitors that the state had lost all in
terest IN the church struggle, and that
the ministers and priests had better
stew in their own juice or words to
that effect.
The fact was that Alfred Rosen-
berg, DR.. Robert Ley, Baldur Won
schlrach and other theological leaders
of naziism believed they had found a
substitute. at last for Christianity
which they could preach to youth. A
generation later they figured the
church would die of attrition, for
youth would worship the new God.
Symbolism Retained.
The new theology" if one may call
it such, attempts to retain as much
of New Testament symbolism as pos
sible, but gives it new meaning. 1t
divests the Old Testament altogether
of its character of divine revela-
ton.
God-so the new conception runs
reveals himself at great intervals anew
to a chosen people. Germany is en-
joying the exceptional grace Of God
of having in its midst an impeccable
character, model for his people, in
the person of Adolf Hitler. To follow
him is to serve God-the German
Gott.
Such conception does not go I'M
challenged by the two established
churches. From the pulpits of both
faiths the new "heathenism" is de-
nounced. The government serenely
ipr1oreS these atta acks