Resistance to Hitler and Nazism

I.The Generals or the Army? Hardly!
     A.Collaborators from the beginning, pledge loyalty
     B.Resist only when they begin to lose the war

II.Schools, Colleges and Universities? Hardly!
     A.They sell out early, pledge loyalty, accept government grants
           1.Some professors complain privately, some resign, some organize
           2.But most remain silent
     B.Some organised student resistance, with some faculty support
           1.Most student and faculty organizers are killed - beheaded as traitors
           2.Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, Christoph Probst, Professor Kurt Huber,
           Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf, and many others.

III.Organized Religion?
     A.Judaism
           1.Targeted for destruction immediately (within 10 years)
           2.Quietism from community, some exiled, killed, over 7,000,000 killed
     B.Christianity
           1.Targeted for long-term destruction (within 20 years)
                 a.Himmler "We shall not rest until we have rooted out Christianity"
                 b.Heydrich "The Catholic Church is the enemy of the state"
                 c.thousands of priests, monks, nuns, pastors murdered
                 d.thousands more imprisoned in concentration camps
           2.Churches strong, but wary, eager to please
                 a.Nationalism hostile to organized religion
                 b.organized religion almost destroyed in 19th century
           3.Quietism combined with resistance from the beginning
                 a.Pastor's Emergency League (Niemoeller)

IV.Pope Pius XI
     A.Mit Brennende Sorge (with burning concern)
           1.Pastoral letter to Germans
           2.Critical of anti-religious laws & practices of nazis
           3.Critical of nazi racist policies
           4.Suppressed by German government, all copies confiscated
           5.most Catholics never hear of the pastoral letter

V.Pope Pius XII
     A.Uses Catholic organizations to protect Jews
           1.Jews given baptismal certificates, which offers some protection
           2.Jews hidden in Catholic homes, churches, monasteries, etc.
           3.Jews smuggled to Italy, Spain, Palestine, Shanghai, etc. 
     B.Issues many thousands of passports to Jews throughout Europe
     C.Protects Jewish community in Italy by opening Vatican, churches, monasteries
     D.Vatican efforts, directed by Pius XII, saved 700,000 to 860,000 Jews
           1.yet Pius XII vilified by modern anti-Catholics for doing too little!

VI.Martin Niemoeller
     A.Organizes Pastor's Emergency League
     B.In Concentration Camp, 1938 - 1945
     C.Deep reflection & self-criticism afterwards
           1.When they came for ...

VII.St. Maximillian Kolbe (1894 - August 14, 1941)
     A.Used his monastery in occupied Poland as a refuge for Jews
     B.Published anti-nazi pamphlets, books
     C.Arrested and sent to Auschwitz (not yet a death camp)
     D.Offers to die instead of a man w/ children
     E.Starved for weeks, then killed with injection of phenol
     F.Canonised as Martyr/Saint, 1982

VIII.St. Edith Stein (October 21-1891 - August 9, 1942)
     A.Jewish heritage
     B.Doctorate in Psychology, summa cum laude
     C.Prolific author: women's psychology, women's studies
     D.1922, baptized a Catholic
     E.1933, becomes a Carmelite nun, continues studies, writing
     F.1938, goes to Carmelite convent in Holland
     G.August 1, 1942, Churches in Holland denounce nazi Jewish policy
           1.Next day 1000s of Jews in Holland arrested by nazis
     H.August 2, 1942, Edith Stein arrested, shipped to Auschwitz
     I.August 9, 1941, Edith Stein gassed at Auschwitz
     J.October 10, 1998, Edith Stein canonized as Martyr/Saint

IX.Karol Wojtyla, 1920 - 2005 / Pope John Paul II, 1978-2005
     A.Forced labor in quarry, trained in secret seminary in Cracow
     B.Helps organize "Solidarity" against nazis, then against commies