NAZIS AND CATHOLICS

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 May 1937, Page 5

NAZIS AND CATHOLICS

DR. GOEBBELS’ ALLEGATIONS,

[UY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] BERLIN, May 28. Bitterly replying to Cardinal Mundelein of Chicago, who referred to Herr Hitler as a. paperhanger, the Nazi Minister for Propaganda (Dr. Goebbels), at a mass meeting of the Nazi Party, issued a warning that most drastic steps would be taken against high dignitaries of the Roman Catholic Church if Roman Catholics, either in Germany or abroad, continued to criticise the “morality trials" now proceeding in Germany. ‘-‘Cardinal Mundelein insulted Herr Hitler in a manner impossible to repeat,” said Dr. Goebbels. “He called me a dishonest Propaganda Minister who arranged the trials solely for (lie purpose of harming the persecuted Roman Catholic Church. The continual slandering of German justice has forced us to disclose Io the world the reasons leading to the arrests of priests and tile disclosure of the monstrous mendacity of those who asserted that religious motives were responsible. Germany does not close her eyes to the dreadful moral decay whic.ii is manifest."

Dr. Goebbels recited examples of offences allegedly committed by Roman Catholic educators, and added that the immorality trials were not regrettable. isolated events, hut a sign of the general moral depravity which was unparalleled in the cultural history of mankind. VATICAN’S ANSWER. ROME. May 28. Replying to the German protest against Cardinal Mundelein's criticism uf Herr Hider. the Vatican points out that it cannot be responsible for personal views of individual Cardinals, it directs auention to the German (lovernment s inconsistency in permitting Press attacks on the Pope.