The Stasi Spies in Seminary - WSJ

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As the country’s only semifree space, East Germany’s churches in the 1980s hosted countless groups supporting the environment, peace and human rights. Although a few pastors spied out of belief in East Germany, for most the undercover work was a Faustian bargain. They reported for Department XX/4 because they wanted personal advantages. And in most pastor-agents’ reports, no piece of information was too trivial to include. One supplied theological exegeses written by his students with helpful pointers as to which bits the officers should read.

Thanks to his pastor agents, Col. Wiegand had superb insights to his country’s mood and could foresee the coming instability. But he could only deliver the intelligence for his country’s decision makers, not influence policy. By November 1989, the reforms East Germans were demanding were too extensive and the regime too rigid. Despite the efforts of Department XX/4, the wall still came down as Christians and other East Germans took to the streets. The pastor-spies were effective, but the people’s will was stronger.
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Not really Catholic news, the article is all about protestant ministers.

Perhaps move this to world news forum, as it’s title and location could be interpreted as disparaging to the Church.
 
There was a similar situation in Lithuania. The Cronicles of the Catholic Church tell a similar story. If you played the KGB’s game things were materiallybetter for you.
I compare htose seminarians who compromised themselves with Mgr Mccarrick with those who compromised themselves with the KGB.
 
I do not doubt it happened in Catholic countries also. Although not to the extent as East Germany. But the article posted is not about Catholic priests or seminarians, hence it’s in the wrong fourm.
 
There was extensive spying everywhere in the communist countries.
 
Ina sensae now it is because there is amove now to study the spy records to see who in the Church compromised themselves. According to the Chronicles, it was fairly obvious who certain key figures were who had compromised themselves.
 
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