"ENEMY NO. 1."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 158, 6 July 1937, Page 7

"ENEMY NO. 1."

NAZIS AND CHURCH.

Roman Catholic Demonstrators

Defy Police.

FIGHT FOR CHRISTIANITY.

United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 10 a.m.) MUNICH, July 5. "The Nazis regard the Church as 'Enemy No. 1. , They no longer attack Bolsheviks and Marxists," said Cardinal Faulhaber, in an address to thousands of members of Roman Catholic young men's associations who, although their organisations have been banned, assembled in defiance of the political police. The demonstration was held as a protest against the arrest of Father Mayr on June 14.

The Cardinal added: "Xazi-ism now aims at the destruction of the Catholic Church in Germany. You face the decision as to whether you believe the Nazi conception of God without Christianity or whether you are Christians."

A message from Berlin says all the Confessional pastors still at liberty read from their pulpits yesterday a resolution passed by the Prussian Council of Brethren denouncing the arrest of the leader of their movement, Dr. Martin Niemoller, last week, declaring that he and 36 of the other arrested pastors were only doing their duty in fighting for * the maintenance of Christianitv. *

An official decree prohibits Jews sitting for medical degrees. A leading Heidleberg philosopher. Dr. Karl Jaspers, and Dr. Grisebach, professor of art history, were dismissed "for simplification of administration," but it is known that both have Jewish wives.

The Berlin correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" on June 14 said the arrest of Father Rupert Mayr on "technical charges" had dismayed the German Army, as Father Mayr was regarded ae one of Bavaria's national heroes. The priest lost both hie lege in the Great War and was awarded the highest military honours for his services as a chaplain. Recently Father Mayr answered Dr. Goebbel's attack on Cardinal Mundelein, of Chicago, by declaring: "It ie better for a .prieet to be shot down in Spain than to see the faith dragged in the dirt in Germany." Cardinal Faulhaber protected to the German Government that Father Mayr's arrest was a breach of the concordat with the \ atican. In spite of the restraint imposed upon Roman Catholics, the agitation for the release of the priest was increasing daily. Catholics felt that unless the authorities acted immediately there might be an outbreak of violence.

EGGS MUST NOT BE USED.

GOOD NEWS FOR COMEDIANS. (Received 12 noon.) BKKLTN, July 5. German comedians will no longer need to fear pelting with custard pies e<™-s and fruit, as the Reich Theatre Chamber has prohibited the use of food as missiles in order to prevent waste.