German Church admits aiding Nazis

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The title is a little iffy. Having laborers and prisoners of war work in Catholic institutions like hospitals, which as the Cardinal said: were better than other secular institutions that did the same thing, is a lot different than if the church had sent Jews off to concentration camps or had given shelter to Nazi troops. I wouldn’t have used the word “aided”.
 
NReily said:
is a lot different than if the church had sent Jews off to concentration camps or had given shelter to Nazi troops. I wouldn’t have used the word “aided”.
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Also, imagine you are running a Catholic hosptial. A Governement official comes and asks you if you need any Jews or Poles to work in the hospital.

Given what the alternative would be for them, I would take as many as they would let me to work in my hospital.
 
I don’t think “aiding” is an accurate word. The article uses terms like: “forced labor”, “prisoners of war”, “forced to work”, “forced labor” and “drafted”. When I think of “aiding” I’m thinking of something a person freely chooses to do. A better title for the article might be: “German Church admits being coerced into aiding the Nazis.”
**Germany’s Roman Catholic Church has acknowledged the extent of its involvement in the use of forced labour during World War II. **
A 700-page report says 1,000 prisoners of war and some 5,000 civilians were forced to work for the Nazis in support of the German war effort.
They were drafted from 800 Catholic-run institutions across the country.
The Church had previously paid $2m in compensation to foreign workers who the Nazis had used for forced labour.
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Yes the “Church” had a few thousand forced laborers instead of shipping them off to Nazi labor and death camps. How terrible.

Assuming this is true…
 
This is like saying Oskar Schindler aided the Nazis. He was a member of the Nazi party yet is a hero in Israel. He deserves his hero status for saving the lives of many Jews.
 
Hopefully revelations like this will prevent the already shaky path of Pius the XII to sainthood. That would be a slap in the face to the world IMO and a betrayal by the catholic church of its purported truth and honesty.
 
rien said:
Hopefully revelations like this will prevent the already shaky path of Pius the XII to sainthood. That would be a slap in the face to the world IMO and a betrayal by the catholic church of its purported truth and honesty.
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That is just your opinion. I don’t understand how a Jew being forced to work in a Catholic hospital has anything to do with Pius XII. Let’s put the blame where it belongs, on the Nazis and their supporters.
 
:eek: It wasn’t just jews that did forced labour, people from other countries conquered by the Nazis did it too.
Civilians could have also been even fellow germans who were in the concentration camps, like commies and others who the nazis deemed unfit for political or other reasons.
I have relatives in Germany on my dad’s side, but have no idea who in the family to contact on this matter, and it’s doubtful some 80 or 90 year old nun cousin would be even willing to talk about
it especially with someone though kin, they don’t know.

For those members from Croatia and the Balkan area, i’m sure they can tell you about the Catholic Churches invovlement with the Ustachi. A lot of things have been hidden and swept under the rug by the Vatican, look at the sex abuse scandal. If they can hid that, then theycan hide alot of other stuff. Doesn’t stop me for being Catholic, but i do think the Church needs to be upfront and truly honest about it’s part in some disgraceful activities of the past, i wouldn’t exactly consider the crusade against the Cathars and the Inquistion a festival of christian love ya know.

Just think what might have happend in Germany if there had been more Oskar Schindler’s.Though there may have been individuals who unknown tried to do their part too.
 
rien said:
Hopefully revelations like this will prevent the already shaky path of Pius the XII to sainthood. That would be a slap in the face to the world IMO and a betrayal by the catholic church of its purported truth and honesty.
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Do you have any clue of what the sanctification process is about and how it works?
 
Cristiano said:
Do you have any clue of what the sanctification process is about and how it works?
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Obviously a rhetorical question, because its obvious some of the posters are of the typical “any club is a good club” as long as the Catholic Church is the target to be beat. Forget about historical circumstances, forget about context, forget that Jewish Researchers have confirmed the Catholic Church (under the direct orders of Pius XII) was responsible for saving the deaths of at least 500,000 Jews, and more like over 800,000.
 
Anyone with heartburn (for lack of a better description) about the Catholic Church will use any means they can to cast aspersions on the One, True Church. Just remember, the wolf (Satan) does not attack the false sheep. (non Catholic churches. )
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B
 
Deacon_Ed_B said:
Anyone with heartburn (for lack of a better description) about the Catholic Church will use any means they can to cast aspersions on the One, True Church. Just remember, the wolf (Satan) does not attack the false sheep. (non Catholic churches. )
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B
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I would not say that he does not attack them however I believe he saves his nukes for the Catholic church.
 
Running a hospital in a time of war, it would only make sense to accept the workers given to you by the government. When people are dying they need attending to. There is no accusation that the church abused the workers, only that they made use of them to help at the hospitals.
 
Neil_Anthony said:
Running a hospital in a time of war, it would only make sense to accept the workers given to you by the government. When people are dying they need attending to. There is no accusation that the church abused the workers, only that they made use of them to help at the hospitals.
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I agree with this. I am not clear on how working in Catholic hospitals or other institutions was construed as “support of the German war effort.”

What troubles me the most is that these statements were made by Cardinal Lehmann. Does anyone know anything about him?
 
OriginalJS said:
Hitler, the Nazis and the Church in Germany were close. Check out these photos:

nobeliefs.com/nazis.htm
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Some pictures of Hitler with a Papal Nuncio(diplomat) is hardley unusual and in no way implies support for the Nazis. Other pictures of bishops with Hitler or Nazi officers is like saying that a picture of a bishop or pope with an American Democrat is showing the church supports abortion.
 
Oskar Shindler employed Jews in his factories. He did it to save them. They made a movie about it a few years back.
 
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