Hudal Affair

> "We live in an era of the ultimate conflict with Christianity. It is part of the mission of the SS to give the German people in the next half century the non-Christian ideological foundations on which to lead and shape their lives. This task does not consist solely in overcoming an ideological opponent but must be accompanied at every step by a positive impetus: in this case that means the reconstruction of the German heritage in the widest and most comprehensive sense."
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> Reichsführer-SS, **Heinrich Himmler**, 1937

The **Hudal Affair** was a major international scandal in twentieth-century global politics which occurred in 1959 between the Holy See and Germany. As part of the Kulturkampf against the 'disloyal elements' of the Catholic Church and Protestant Churches, the National Socialist German Workers Party desired for the German state to gain total administrative control over the Churches. One of these Churches which was seen as the most disloyal was the Catholic Church, as many within the Party believed that Catholics were ultimately loyal not to Hitler or to the President, but rather to the Pope, who was considered an alien to Germany. During the entirety of Adolf Hitler's reign, the likes of Heinrich Himmler, Alfred Rosenberg, Martin Bormann, Reinhard Heydrich, and Joseph Goebbels continuously lobbied for the eradication of Catholicism within Germany. This was due to Catholicism's inherent nature of opposition to the heroic Germanic ideals posited by National Socialist ideology. The Party, above all, desired the replacement of religious allegiances with a single-minded and obedient national consciousness which carried religious elements unto itself. In spite of these desires by the ruling hierarchy of the Party, pragmatists such as Hitler and Goebbels themselves desired the postponement of the resolution of these issues until after the war due to serious political considerations and repercussions which could arise if the Party had openly declared its opposition to the Catholic Church.

With the declaration of Victory in Europe Day, many leaders within the National Socialist regime turned their eyes towards the policies which they had postponed implementation of, especially with regards to the Church Question. However, what many anti-clerical Party leaders had failed to consider, was that even if they succeeded in converting the German masses against Catholicism, several issues would remain with Germany's newfound strategic partners, especially in Western Europe and Latin America. The geopolitical ramifications of publicly opposing the Catholic Church would be a blow to German diplomacy on the global stage. As such, the anti-clericalist movement within Germany found themselves in a difficult situation not too dissimilar to the one which they faced before the Second World War. In the meantime, the state-sanctioned Association of German National Catholics was created by proponents of Positive Christianity, with the goal of planting National Socialist ideology deep within the Catholic communities of Germany. After only a few years of propaganda and political maneuvering, the Association became the primary organizational body of Catholics within Germany. This association was and remains unrecognized by the Holy See.

In February of 1959, a German-Austrian bishop of the Catholic Church, Alois Karl Hudal was appointed to the position of Pastoral Leader of the Catholics of the Reich by the National Socialist German Workers Party under the authority of the Reichsminister of Church Affairs, with the approval of the President of Germany, Hermann Göring. The Right Reverend, Alois Hudal was a known political ally of the National Socialists, and was considered an enemy of Pope Pius XII. The appointment was proposed a few weeks after the death of Pope Pius XII in the preceding year. Immediately after this appointment, Pope John XXIII publicly condemned the illegal appointment. The controversy quickly became an international scandal which tarnished the heroic image of Germany in the eyes of many anti-Communist Catholics who were sympathetic to Germany, especially political leaders within Latin America and Western Europe who were aligned with the Reich. President Göring, though still held anti-Catholic beliefs, was not as anti-clerical as most of his Party comrades, and desired to negotiate with the Holy See to repair the situation. However, the new Pope, much to the Party's dismay, was even more outspoken in his anti-National Socialist beliefs, demanding many terms which were seen as simply unacceptable to the Reich.

With the failures of negotiations between the Holy See and Germany, the Reichsführer-SS Reinhard Heydrich advocated for the kidnapping of Pope John XXIII in an attempt to gain terms which were favorable to Germany. Although the kidnapping operation did not occur, aspects of the plan survived and were executed during the Visit of President Hermann Göring to the Vatican City. In private eyes, the Pope was not allowed to leave until they came to an agreement. In public eyes, the Pope shut himself within the confines of the Vatican until he reached an agreement. The Pontifical Swiss Guard and the Schutzstaffel were in deadlock for the remainder of the visit. However, the Pope was far more firm in his uncompromising beliefs than Göring and his diplomats had expected. It became increasingly clear that the Pope was not willing to give in to much of Göring's demands, and as such the President willingly dropped many of them in order to reach an agreement. The primary cause of the affair, the appointment of Bishop Hudal, was resolved through the Second Reichskonkordat, and Hudal's appointment to the position was finally consecrated by the Holy See, in exchange for the fulfillment of several other clauses.

In the present day, the relationship between Göring and Pope John XXIII, and by extension all relationships between Popes and Heads of State of Germany since Hitler, is likened to that of Napoleon's shaky relationship with Pope Pius VII during the Napoleonic Wars. The Hudal Affair is one of many instances of the struggle between Church and State, and in the National Socialist German Workers Party's eyes, a struggle between the Jewish Christianity and the Germanic Tradition.