german catholic church

If you survey some of the pictures of that era you can see many pictures of German Catholic Bishops attending many Nazi rallies and waving Nazi Siege Heil salute and extending their arms.
This Question is not about individual Catholic individuals but about the official German Roman Catholic hierarchy. So not to mix the two. Actually the Nazi with the German Catholic wanted to combine both German Nazi nationalism with Catholicism. This was very important to Hitler to gain massive support of the very religious German masses which he succeeded to achieve.
This question is about the period of 1934 to 1939 where the Nazis depended on the Roman Catholic bishops and Catholic church to win the support of half of the German population who were Catholics and therefore establish their absolute power on that country.

No it was not integral but the Catholic church has been heavily criticised for not doing enough to oppose the nazis. The Pope signed a Concordat in 1933 that said that the Nazis would leave the Catholic Church alone so long as it was not openly critical. Although the Pope later went back on this many feel it was by then too late. It is worth noting that the most famous religious opponents of the nazis were actually Protestants like Niemoller. The Nazis completely ignored their side of the bargain as well and persecuted Catholic priests ruthlessly thouigh. Nazi oppression of both Protestants and Catholics increased throughout 1933-39 as the regime became more confident. Some Catholic individuals did of course speak, Bishop Galen for example spoke out against the nazis and was executed by them.

2008-01-11 08:30:31 by Shary

Membership in the Catholic church in Germany is dwindling. Some people have been driven away by a string of child-abuse scandals. Some say the ...

Paul Althaus, a Lutheran theologian of renown in Germany, warmly greeted the rise of Hitler. He wrote that, “The Protestant churches have greeted the political turning point as a gift and miracle of God”.. (“Die deutsche Stunde der Kirche,” p.5)

In a speech to Polish Catholics, Hitler declared: “I as a German Catholic, ask only what is permitted to Polish Catholics. To be antisemitic is not to be un-Catholic. The Church used every weapon against the Jews, even the Inquisition. Christ himself was a pioneer in the fight against Judaism.” (ibid, p. 146)

At a Church conference, Hitler affirmed that the Catholic Church has always regarded Jews as evildoers and had banished them into ghettos. He (Hitler) is only doing what the Church had been doing for fifteen hundred years.. (ibid, p. 79)

“I do insist on the certainty that sooner or later – once we hold power – Christianity will be overcome and the German Church established. Yes, the German church, without a Pope, and Luther, if he could be with us, would give us his blessing.” (Adolf Hitler, Hitler’s speeches, edited by Prof. N.H. Baynes [oxford, 1942], pg. 369.)

“If I find a Jew to baptize, I shall lead him to the Elbe bridge, hang a stone around his neck, and push him into the water, baptizing him with the name of Avraham!.. I cannot convert the Jews. Our lord Christ did not succeed in doing so; but I can close their mouths so that there will be nothing for them to do but to lie upon the ground.” – Martin Luther

Just as Hitler's self-serving comments about being "Catholic" do not speak for the whole Catholic church, one theologian's support for Hitler's rise to power does not speak for the whole of Protestant churches.

Hitler never won a popular election - he was appointed - and his party received something like 30 percent of the vote. It is safe to say that not everyone supported him - just as not everyone in the Church supported him.

2007-10-09 07:30:37 by kloneme

I have to do a presentation and i cant figure out why it would be a problem if everyone could read the bible..

Because his teaching had been declared heretical back in 1520 before he started translating in the Wartburg and his translation (faith alone in Romans 3), introductions, and the pictures included reflected Luther's understanding which had been condemned.

There actually were multiple translations into German before Luther's. But Luther's hit at the right time (Printing Press, Educational reforms meaning more people could rerecipe fluent - street person German understandable to real people, and was made by a famous person who was a gifted writer. This is a good recepie for success in just about any age and thus the Luther Bible became the standard for Early Modern German, in spite of attempts by Emser and others who tried to make more Roman Catholic versions.

2009-11-08 11:41:43 by Dance&Cheer

and what part in mass where bread and wine changed to the body and blood?

Martin Luther was the German priest who broke away from the Catholic Church.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist is the general part of the Mass in which the bread and wine become the Body and Blood. The specific moment when this happens is called the consecration.

2008-04-16 10:59:17 by ☮, ♥, edward cullen <3

If you would like more answers, consider asking around this site as well...

http://christianforums.com/forumdisplay. php?f=26

2008-12-30 05:19:40 by Anton