Edmond Paris - The Secret History of the Jesuits

monastery".(109)

For their part, the best theological pens were busy demonstrating the similarity between the Catholic and Nazi doctrines. And, for that work, the sons of Loyola were the busiest. As an example, let us see how Michaele Schmaus, Jesuit theologian, presented to the public a series of studies on this subject:

"Empire and Church" is a series of writings which should help the building up of the Third Reich as it unites a national-socialist state to Catholic-christianity... The national-socialist movement is the most vigorous and massive protest against the spirit of the 19th and 20th centuries... A compromise between the Catholic faith and liberal thinking is impossible... Nothing is more contrary to Catholicism than democracy... The re-awakened meaning of "strict authority" opens up again the way to the real interpretation of ecclesiastical authority... The mistrust of liberty is founded on the Catholic doctrine of original sin... The national-socialist Commandments and those of the Catholic Church have the same aim..."(110)

(108) Hermann Rauschning, former national-socialist chief of the government of Dantzig:

"Hitler m'a dit", (Ed. Co-operation, Paris 1939, pp.266, 267, 273 ss).

(109) Walter Schellenberg: "Le Chef du contre-espionnage nazi vous parle" (Julliard, Paris 1957, pp.23-24).

(110) "Begegnungen zwichen Katholischen Christentum und nazional-sozialitischer Weltanchaunung", by Michaele Schmaus, professor at the Faculty of Theology of Munich.

(Aschendorf, Munster 1933).

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This aim was the "new middle-ages" Hitler promised Europe. The similarity is obvious between the passionate anti-liberalism of this Jesuit from Munich and the equal fanaticism expressed during the "act of consecration of the F.N.C. in the basilica of Montmartre". During the occupation, the R.P.

Merklen wrote: "These days, liberty no longer seems to merit any esteem".(l 11)

Quotations such as these could be multiplied by the thousand. Is not this hatred of liberty under all its forms the character itself of the Roman Master? It is easy also to understand how the Catholic "doctrine" and the nazi

"doctrine" could harmonise so well. The one who ably demonstrated this accord, "The Jesuit Michaele Schmaus", was called by 'La Croix', ten years after the war, the "great theologian of Munich"( 112), and nobody will be surprised to learn that he was made a "Prince of the Church" by Pius XII.

Under the circumstances, what becomes of the "terrible" encyclical letter

"Mit brennender Sorge", from Pius XI, which was supposed to condemn nazism? No casuist has tried to tell us... naturally!

The "great theologian" Michaele Schmaus had many rivals, according to a German author who sees in the "Katolisch-Konservatives Erbgut" the strangest book ever published by the German Catholic Publications:

"This anthology which brings together texts from the main Catholic theorists of Germany, from Gorres to Vogelsang, makes us believe that national-socialism was born out of Catholic ideas".(113) When writing this, the author certainly didn't realise he was describing it so perfectly.

Another well informed person, the mainspring of the pact between the Holy See and Berlin and the pope's secret chamberlain, Franz von Papen, was even more explicit:

"The Third Reich is the first world power which not only acknowledges but also puts into practice the high principles of the papacy".(l 14) To this, we will add the result of this "putting into practice": 25 million victims of the concentration camps—the official figure issued by the United Nations Organisation.

Here, we find it necessary to add something especially for candid minds, for those who cannot admit that the organised massacres were one of the papacy's "high principles". Of course, this candour is diligently (111) "La Croix", 2nd of September 1951.

(112) "La Croix", 2nd of September 1954.

(113) Gunter Buxbaum- "Les Catholiques en Europe centrale" ("Mercure de France", 15th of January 1939).

(114) Robert d'Harcourt of the French Academy: "Franz von Papen, l'homme a tout faire"

L'Aube, 3rd of October 1946).

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maintained:

—"Such barbarian deeds belong to the past"!

So say some good apostles to the simple, while shrugging their shoulders before the non-catholics "for whom the fires of the Holy Inquisition are still burning".(115)

So be it! Let us set aside the superabundant testimonies about the clerical ferocity of years gone by to consider the 20th century.

We will not recall either the exploits of men like Stepinac and Marcone in Croatia, nor Tiso in Slovakia, but will confine ourselves to examining the orthodoxy of certain "high principles" they put so well into practice.

Are they really out-dated today—these principles—disowned by an

"enlightened doctrine", officially rejected by the Holy See with other mistakes of a dark past? It is easy to find out.

Let us, for example, open the "Great Apologetics", by the Abbe Jean Vieujan, which can hardly be described as mediaeval as it is dated "1937".

What do we read?

"To accept the principle of the Inquisition, one only needs a Christian mentality, and this is what many Christians lack... The Church has no such timidity".(116)

One could not put it better.

Is another proof, no less orthodox and modern, necessary? Listen to the R.P. Janvier, a famous conference speaker at Notre-Dame:

"By virtue of her indirect power over temporal matters, should not the Church have the right to expect Catholic States to oppress heretics even to the point of death, so as to suppress them?

Here is my answer:

"I do advocate this, even to the point of death!... Leaning first of all on the practice, then on the teaching of the Church itself; and I am convinced that no Catholic would say the opposite without erring gravely".(117) We could not accuse this theologian of speaking in riddles. His speech is clear and concise. It would be impossible to say more with fewer words.

Everything is there, concerning the right the Church arrogates to herself to exterminate those whose beliefs do not correspond with hers: the

"teaching" which compels her, the "practice" which legitimates by tradition, and even the "call to the Christian states", of which the hitlerian crusade was such a perfect example.

The following words, far from ambigious, were not pronounced in the darkness of the Middle-Ages either:

"The Church can condemn heretics to death, for any rights they have are ( 1 1 5 ) "Temoignage chretien", 6th of December 1957.

(116) Abbe Jean Vieujan: "Grande Apologetique" (Bloud et Gay, Paris 1937, p.1316).

( 1 1 7 ) Conference of the 25th of March 1912.

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only through our tolerance, and these rights are apparent not real". The author of this was the Jesuits' general Franz Wernz (1906-1915), and the fact that he was German as well gives even more weight to his declration.

During the 20th century also, Cardinal Lepicier, notoroius prince of the Church, wrote: "If someone professes publicly to be an heretic or tries to pervert others, by his speech or example, he can not only be excommunicated, but also justly killed..."(118 & 118a). If that's not a characteristic appeal to murder, I might as well be "changed into a peppermill" as the late Courteline said.

Is the Sovereign Pontiffs contribution wanted as well? Here it is, from a modern pope whose "liberalism" was criticised by intransigent clerics, the Jesuit Pope Leo XIII: "Anathema on the one who says: the Holy Spirit does not want us to kill the heretic".

What higher authority could be invoked after this one, apart from that of the Holy Spirit?

Even though this may displease those who manipulate the smokescreen (reference to those who put out smoke signals during the choice of a Pope), the soothers of disquieted consciences, the papacy's "high principles" remain unchanged and, amongst other things, the extermination for the Faith is as valid and canonical today as it was in the past. A conclusion most