Hitler and the Vatican

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22112, 7 June 1937, Page 8

Hitler and the Vatican

A crisis has arisen in the dispute between Nazi Germany and the Roman Catholic Church. The Nazi Party has assumed the right to question the freedom of speech and action of Church leaders, not only in Germany but in a country overseas. Cardinal Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago, not long ago referred to Herr Hitler publicly as "an alien Austrian paperhanger." He further denounced the " morality trials " in Germany as propaganda against the Catholic Church. Dictators fear nothing more than ridicule. Herr Hitler replied with a protest to the Vatican, and a threat through the Propaganda Ministry that " drastic steps would be taken " against high dignitaries of the Roman Catho- " lie Church," if Catholics continued to criticise the "morality trials." These "morality trials" are the criminal proceedings being taken against monks and nuns in Germany, on allegations of immorality. They have been justified by mere assertion from time to time, but have not been given the publicity which usually attaches to Nazi campaigns. The reason is clear. Herr Hitler wishes to discredit the Roman Catholic Church in Germany, which he detests as an institution whose authority transcends national boundaries. But he would like to compass this end without mortally offending the vast and influential body of Catholic opinion throughout the world. By a minimum of publicity and by political casuistry he hopes to conduct his anti-Catholic campaign without serious offence to Italy, and without damaging Nazi influence in a dominantly Catholic Austria. Other aims there must be, but these two axe. of obvious importance to Herr Hitler. Paradoxically, he hates Catholicism for the same reason as he hates Communism and the Jews. The reason is that all three operate internationally; and all three are therefore a thorn in the side of militant nationalism. And the tactics adopted against the Jews and Communists-are a comment on the truth of the Nazi allegations against Catholics, about which little can otherwise be known for certain. It is sufficient to note that the Nazis,- and t! Nazis alone, have discovered a national menace in the Jewish race, and in Catholic priests a menace to national morality. In the present instance the Pope has now twice refused Herr Hitler's demand that Cardinal Mundelein shall be reprimanded. The Vatican disclaims responsibility for the " personal opinion" of the Cardinal. The Pope repeats "that the German Govern- " ment has not taken steps to prevent insult"ing attacks by German Ministers on the Ro"man Catholic religion." So far the dispute would appear to be within the terms of the German Government's concordat with the Vatican, that Catholics shall abstain from interference in tjolitics. and that Germany shall

not interfere with Catholics. Each party to the concordat alleges a breach by the other. But it is to be noted that the Pope does not attempt to justify Cardinal Mundelein by a " tit " for tat" argument, though he Nazi insults to the Church. The disclaiming of responsibility may be taken' to mean that an agreement made with Herr Hitler, to save German Catholics from molestation, does not condition the spiritual authority of the Pope over Catholics throughout the world. If the Pope wcie to reprimand Church dignitaries in every country at the nod of the dictator, it would mean the cramping of the Church's teaching to the scope of a nationalist ideology. The terms of the Pope's refusal to submit do not matter very much. The dispute has reached a stage when compromise is impossible without a denial of the very nature of his office, and without denial of the centuries-old claims of the Church. The difficulty, from the Catholic point of view, would appear to be that this crisis was implicit in the concordat from the beginning. The cabled message which states that " the in- " evitable initiative will be left to Berlin" means that Herr Hitler may now follow his threat with action if he is reckless enough to do so. This crisis, minor in itself, may reach far in determining the disposal of forces in Europe,