Religion: Vatican v. Naziism

The Vatican radio last fortnight shattered the silence it has maintained on the subject of Italy’s ally, Germany, ever since Italy entered World War II. The democracies had feared the silence meant tacit approval of the Axis. But the broadcast condemned Naziism in the strongest terms the Vatican had used since the invasion of Poland. Text for the castigation was an editorial from Catholic Spain—which Pius XII is presumably as anxious as U. S. and British Catholics to keep out of the arms of the Axis. The Madrid Alcázar had written: “National Socialism is primarily a religious movement based on Christian principle.” Said the Vatican radio in trenchant rebuttal:

“Firstly, this statement manifestly contradicts the bulk of Nazi literature, which during the last eight years with unparalleled power and ingenuity has attacked religion and the Catholic Church. Secondly, if National Socialism is a Christian movement, then how is it explained that in 1933 nearly all the Catholic youth in Germany was being taught in Catholic schools, whereas now these schools are closed?”

In contrast to its silence in September, when D.N.B. (Nazi news agency) reported that Germany’s Catholic bishops had written a pastoral letter glorifying Adolf Hitler—and the only Catholic denial came from neutral Switzerland—the Vatican broadcast lashed out also at Nazi maltreatment of the faithful: “The latest news item from Austria announces that the closing of monasteries continues, the latest monasteries to be closed being those of the Capuchins at Innsbruck and the Franciscans at Hall. All the goods of the religious church have been confiscated.”