Free Republic

In 1933, Hitler signed the Reichskonkordat (Reich Concordat), a treaty with the Vatican that required the regime to honour the independence of Catholic institutions and prohibited clergy from involvement in politics.[135] However, the regime continued to target the Christian churches and to try to weaken their influence. Throughout 1935 and 1936, hundreds of clergy, nuns, and lay leaders were arrested, often on trumped up charges of currency smuggling or sexual offences.[136][137] Goebbels widely publicised the trials in his propaganda campaigns, showing the cases in the worst possible light.[136] Restrictions were placed on public meetings, and Catholic publications faced censorship. Catholic...

Francis laments that world powers did nothing to save Jewish, Christian, gays from Nazi death camps.ROME — Pope Francis on Sunday denounced what he called the “great powers” of the world for failing to act when there was intelligence indicating Jews, Christians, homosexuals and others were being transported to death camps in Europe during World War II. He also decried the deaths of Christians in concentration camps in Russia under the Stalin dictatorship, which followed the war....