Go ahead. You can post all the pictures of German heads of state shaking hands with clergy that you like. Post all the slanted Catholic-bashing protestant idiocy that you wish. You'll only be putting on display your ignorance on the subject, and I'll be happy to make garbage of it.
You fail to understand that the Church too was persecuted in Nazi Germany - it's priest rounded up, sent to the concentration camps where they were starved and killed along with the Jews and other outcasts of the Third Reich.
It is commonly understood that Hitler planned the destruction of Christianity within the Reich. Churches within the Reich were systematically closed and most priests were systematically killed, imprisoned, or deported. 80% of the Catholic clergy and five bishops of Warhegau for example were sent to concentration camps in 1939; 108 of them martyrs. In Dachau alone 2,600 Catholic priests from 24 different countries were killed. The Church in Poland was no exception where more than 3000 members of Polish clergy were murdered, nearly 2000 dying in concentration camps.
Under the Nazi policy of Gleichschaltung, which sought to establish totalitarian control and coordination of all aspects of German society, the Catholic Church in Germany faced a number of restrictions. Although most Germans were either Protestant or Catholic, the Nazi Fuhrer Adolf Hitler and senior lieutenants including Martin Bormann and Alfred Rosenberg were hostile to Christianity, and ultimately intended to eradicate the churches under a Nazi future. The Catholic Church sought to preserve its position in Germany by signing a Concordat in 1933 (6 years before WWII). Thus, despite various Nazi violations of the Concordat, the Church was among the very few institutions in Germany which retained a measure of independence from the state. Hitler walked a fine line. He wanted to eradicate the Church from Germany so tried suppressing her, though he was painfully aware that publicly defying the Catholic Church would have been extremely disadvantageous to the power which he held over the German people.
The Vatican issued two encyclicals opposing the policies of Mussolini and Hitler: Non Abbiamo Bisogno in 1931 and Mit Brennender Sorge in 1937, respectively. Mit Brennender Sorge was written partially in response to the Nuremburg Laws and included criticisms of Nazism and racism. Following the outbreak of World War Two, the Vatican, under Pope Pius XII pursued a policy of neutrality publicly, while working discretely against Nazi policy. The Holy See advocated for peace and spoke against racism, selfish nationalism, atrocities in Poland, the bombardment of civilians and other issues. The Pope allowed national hierarchies to assess and respond to their local situations, but established the Vatican Information Service to provide aid to thousands of war refugees, and saved further thousands of lives by instructing the Church to provide discreet aid to Jews.
Now, back to your ridiculous claims, zone. Show us where Luther actually "fought for the Jews and insisted they be treated with respect and dignity." Anyone who knows squat about Luther knows that that is pure nonsense.
But go ahead. Please.
You fail to understand that the Church too was persecuted in Nazi Germany - it's priest rounded up, sent to the concentration camps where they were starved and killed along with the Jews and other outcasts of the Third Reich.
It is commonly understood that Hitler planned the destruction of Christianity within the Reich. Churches within the Reich were systematically closed and most priests were systematically killed, imprisoned, or deported. 80% of the Catholic clergy and five bishops of Warhegau for example were sent to concentration camps in 1939; 108 of them martyrs. In Dachau alone 2,600 Catholic priests from 24 different countries were killed. The Church in Poland was no exception where more than 3000 members of Polish clergy were murdered, nearly 2000 dying in concentration camps.
Under the Nazi policy of Gleichschaltung, which sought to establish totalitarian control and coordination of all aspects of German society, the Catholic Church in Germany faced a number of restrictions. Although most Germans were either Protestant or Catholic, the Nazi Fuhrer Adolf Hitler and senior lieutenants including Martin Bormann and Alfred Rosenberg were hostile to Christianity, and ultimately intended to eradicate the churches under a Nazi future. The Catholic Church sought to preserve its position in Germany by signing a Concordat in 1933 (6 years before WWII). Thus, despite various Nazi violations of the Concordat, the Church was among the very few institutions in Germany which retained a measure of independence from the state. Hitler walked a fine line. He wanted to eradicate the Church from Germany so tried suppressing her, though he was painfully aware that publicly defying the Catholic Church would have been extremely disadvantageous to the power which he held over the German people.
The Vatican issued two encyclicals opposing the policies of Mussolini and Hitler: Non Abbiamo Bisogno in 1931 and Mit Brennender Sorge in 1937, respectively. Mit Brennender Sorge was written partially in response to the Nuremburg Laws and included criticisms of Nazism and racism. Following the outbreak of World War Two, the Vatican, under Pope Pius XII pursued a policy of neutrality publicly, while working discretely against Nazi policy. The Holy See advocated for peace and spoke against racism, selfish nationalism, atrocities in Poland, the bombardment of civilians and other issues. The Pope allowed national hierarchies to assess and respond to their local situations, but established the Vatican Information Service to provide aid to thousands of war refugees, and saved further thousands of lives by instructing the Church to provide discreet aid to Jews.
Now, back to your ridiculous claims, zone. Show us where Luther actually "fought for the Jews and insisted they be treated with respect and dignity." Anyone who knows squat about Luther knows that that is pure nonsense.
But go ahead. Please.
