Holy Father!
As a child of
the Jewish people who, by the grace of God, for the past eleven years has also
been a child of the Catholic Church, I dare to speak to the Father of
Christianity about that which oppresses millions of Germans. For weeks we have
seen deeds perpetrated in Germany which mock any sense of justice and humanity,
not to mention love of neighbor. For years the leaders of National Socialism
have been preaching hatred of the Jews. Now that they have seized the power of
government and armed their followers, among them proven criminal elements, this
seed of hatred has germinated. The government has only recently admitted that
excesses have occurred. To what extent, we cannot tell, because public opinion
is being gagged. However, judging by what I have learned from personal
relations, it is in no way a matter of singular exceptional cases. Under
pressure from reactions abroad, the government has turned to "milder"
methods. It has issued the watchword "no Jew shall have even one hair on
his head harmed." But through boycott measures - by robbing people of
their livelihood, civic honor and fatherland - it drives many to desperation;
within the last week, through private reports I was informed of five cases of
suicide as a consequence of these hostilities. I am convinced that this is a
general condition which will claim many more victims. One may regret that these
unhappy people do not have greater inner strength to bear their misfortune. But
the responsibility must fall, after all, on those who brought them to this
point and it also falls on those who keep silent in the face of such
happenings.
Everything
that happened and continues to happen on a daily basis originates with a
government that calls itself "Christian." For weeks not only Jews but
also thousands of faithful Catholics in Germany, and, I believe, all over the
world, have been waiting and hoping for the Church of Christ to raise its voice
to put a stop to this abuse of Christ’s name. Is not this idolization of race
and governmental power which is being pounded into the public consciousness by
the radio open heresy? Isn't the effort to destroy Jewish blood an abuse of the
holiest humanity of our Savior, of the most blessed Virgin and the apostles? Is
not all this diametrically opposed to the conduct of our Lord and Savior, who,
even on the cross, still prayed for his persecutors? And isn't this a black
mark on the record of this Holy Year which was intended to be a year of peace
and reconciliation?
We
all, who are faithful children of the Church and who see the conditions in
Germany with open eyes, fear the worst for the prestige of the Church, if the
silence continues any longer. We are convinced that this silence will not be
able in the long run to purchase peace with the present German government. For
the time being, the fight against Catholicism will be conducted quietly and
less brutally than against Jewry, but no less systematically. It won't take
long before no Catholic will be able to hold office in Germany unless he
dedicates himself unconditionally to the new course of action.
At
the feet of your Holiness, requesting your apostolic blessing,
Dr. Edith Stein, Instructor at the German
Institute for Scientific Pedagogy, Münster in Westphalia, Collegium Marianum.
