CENT MILLIONS DE CATHOLIQUES MARTYRS – One Hundred Million Catholic Martyrs – a publication at the height of the war about the Nazi persecution of the Christian Church, published by the Bureau d’information allié, 1943. French. On the cover an illustration of a priest hanging on a swastika.
“When Hitler became Reich Chancellor in 1933, he made the following solemn commitment: “The national government sees the true Christian communities as vital factors in the spiritual life of the German people. It affirms its determination to preserve the integrity of their rights. In schools, the government will protect the legitimate influence of Christian communities. The sole aim of government is to ensure peace and harmony between Church and State. Let us see how Hitler kept his promise” (From the opening words).
The book chronicles the Nazi persecution of the Christian Church from the early days of the outbreak of the war, when priests from all over Germany sent letters of complaint to the authorities about Nazi speakers making sermons against faith in the Christian Church. The booklet chronicles the Nazi persecution of Christianity starting with the confiscation of property of the Christian Church, the imposition of censorship on the content of religious publications and sermons, the murder of clergymen who opposed Nazi policy (including loyal churchmen who were not clergymen, such as the apprehension of residents of an old age home in Ciechocinek who were deported by the Germans “to an unknown destination”), the concentration of priests in the notorious Voellersdorf camp, the torture of Slovenian priests, the education of youth in Germany against the Christian Church, the systematic executions of priests, and more. The writer expresses concern for the well-being of the 100,000,000 Catholics in Europe and Asia if Hitler’s policy is implemented, and calls on Catholics around the world to take part in the fight against Hitlerism. Hitler is referred to in the book as “the anarchist”.
Some branches of the Christian Church, especially the Catholic Church, openly opposed Nazi policies that carried out euthanasia, forced sterilization, and persecution of Jews. This opposition posed a threat to the Nazi regime’s attempts to implement its radical agenda without opposition. The Nazis sought to create a totalitarian state in which every aspect of life was under their control and influence. This included attempts to establish a “German Christian” movement within the Protestant Church, which sought to align Christianity with Nazi ideology and replace traditional Christian beliefs with Nazi principles.
44 p. Good condition.