The Pahiatua Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1936. GERMAN CHURCH OPPRESSION.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13181, 13 February 1936, Page 4

The Pahiatua Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1936. GERMAN CHURCH OPPRESSION.

After a period of quiet, the storm between the Nazis and the German Church lias broken out afresh, and a cable yesterday announced that the German, secret police had arrested Monseignor Volker, president of the Catholic Youth. Organisation and some fifty of its members. It was suggested that the arrests were due to the Nazis impatience concerning the Church’s compromise on the youth question. East year Dr. Hans Kerr], minister for German Church affairs fell foul of both Catholic and Protestant sects, and, in an endeavour to reconcile them to the Nazis, made an offer to the Prussian Confessional Synod to remove Reiehbishop JVlueller of the official Nazi Evangelical church, if the Opposition pastors would agree to the establishment of a provisional State administration formed by moderate-viewed churchmen. The bait was not taken however, and the pastors passed three resolutions complaining of certain breaches. The first referred to the arrest of pa.stors and their prevention of preaching, and the issuo of parish magazines. The second dealt with the rights of the Jews to cany out their own baptism, while the third protested against Nazis demanding the establishment of a board to supervise the expenditure ot money provided by the State for church purposes, it being held that the committee controlling the board's actions might utilise the money to further the Nazi Evangelical, church to the detriment of the Confessional body. Utterly disregarding these jirotests, Kerri set up a Reich church committee formed by eight presumably disinterested churchmen, who were to try and bring about an understanding between the Confessional church and the Nazi Evangelical body, and they succeeded in convincing people that they were opposed to the anti-Christian tendencies of certain Nazi leaders. The committee on the other hand re-affirmed the Nazis’ racial views, and foiled to smooth out any of the Opposition grievances, being as Bishop Marahrens, the Opposition leader, put it “a body possessing no authority from the church.” The Confessional pastors appeared to accept the new committee during the next few weeks, and lor a time the activities of the secret police were suspended. Kerri even intimating that Reichbishop Mueller’s resignation would be in order. The tiuce did not last long and verv soon ad church newspapers were ordered to pass through the Ministry of Propaganda, Mueller even refusing to resign and not being pressed to do so. To cap it all the agreement allowing the Catholic Churches to fly the Papal flag separately on religious occasions .and the Nazi swastika on Nazi holidays was ignored on one occasion and the offender was verv severely punished. The closing of two Seminary institutions, the harsh restrictions placed on the Catholic Youth Movement, and the fines and miprisonmont Imposed on pastors Jove further incensed the CVmfessional church and done much to make the breach between the parties a permanent one, and Hitler is apparently allowing relations between Germany and tTfe Vatican to be strained to the breaking point. Just what will follow the fearless denunciation of the Nazis antl-Catholic activities from Munich by Cardinal T'aulhaber remains to be seen; possibly Hitler will pretend to ignore file incident n s he must realise that any further persecution of this large section of the German people will seriously undermine the hold that Nazism has on that country to-day. Wo wonder too what significance lies behind the presence of the ex-Crown Prince RupprecJEt of Bavaria at the Church during the Munich incident was it a gesture calculated to fire the latent flames of Imperialism among the German people for the report says That a few isolated shouts of “hail Hitler” were howled down by the crowd as the Prince entered the church with the Cardinal? TO-MORROW’S SHOW. To-morrow brings round once more the Pahiatua Agricultural and l’n >-

toral Association’s annual show and stock exhibition. This year’s fixture will be the 26th show the Pahiatua, Society has staged, and we are told that entries constitute an all-round increase, particularly in the horse events and the Southdown sheep section. This is an Indication that the exhibitors are loyally co-operating with the Association tn its endeavour to encourage competition and foster better stock production, and it now behoves the general public to do their share by attending the show. The A. and P. societies in New Zealand make a very substantial contribution to the education of the populace, and moreover, their fixtures provide a common meeting ground between town and country where Hit 1 inter-dependence of town and country interests is manifest to the greatest possible degree. The Pahiatua Association has battled along now lor over a quarter of a. century, meeting financial setbacks and reverses caused by the vagaries of the elements, with commendable courage, and we wish them lino weather and a record attendance for to-morrow.