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SHOAH ROSE | Church Timeline | Nazis & church | Vatican | Shoah Popes
EDICTS & DECREESEdicts and Decrees have been made throughout the History of the visible Church, and the Roman Church's decrees, Bulls, Councils and Encyclicals are widely known. While they shape the institution, they also shape history,as they become doctrine and dogma taught to millions. During the Shoah, Edicts and Decrees were also important and shaded how many believers and Church goers behaved towards the State and the Jews. The Barmen Declaration for example, became a point of confession and for some, martyrdom for the Believing Church. Some of Goebbels early speeches became a rallying cry for Germans who wished to revel in the conservative, fascist 'law & order' Reich, while not giving up traditional beliefs or church-going. Other Ancient doctrines of the Early Church Fathers in the Roman tradition, or pronouncements, sermons and 'statements' of later clergy, affected the Church's pro-Semitic or Anti-Semitic stand. Below are links to some of these formidable Dogma, Edicts and Decrees DECREES, DOCTRINES, EDICTS AND DECLARATIONS Authored by Karl Barth and others in Zurich Switzerland, the Barmen Declaration reaffirmed the original values and beliefs of the Believing Church. It is particular in its affirmation of Jesus Christ
as Lord, Savior and Redeemer, and the only proper Christian allegiance being the one towards Him as LORD and King. It decries Nazi 're-interpretations. Written and pronounced in 1945-6, The Stuttgart Confession, signed by prominent members of the Confessing Church, including Niemoller, declared the repentance of the Church for sins of Omission and Commission in allowing the Nazis to prevail in their demonic spirit of "force and retaliation". Controversial then and now, many did not feel the need of the German Church to repent. A Classic Letter to the World Church Community.
Niemoller, known for his famous Stuttgart Confession and statement ..."they finally came for me" authored and preached this famous document, "Die Deutsche Schulde" in which he strongly admonishes the German Church and others not to walk away unrepentant from their role or apathy during the Shoah.
 This page connects to the actual vatican Encyclical regarding the Catholic Church's Papal Repentance for past wrongs against the Jewish People, and their role in WWII. The Reader will decide for himself.THE NUREMBERG FILES: NAZI PLAN FOR THE CHURCH.
 In 2001 to 2004, the US Government declassified certain war documents among which were documents from the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. Among these documents were detailed outlines of the Nazis persecutions and planned persecutions for the Church, defying what they said openly. The Church, in short, was simply not to be an entity of concern in the New Reich. Original pdf format documents from Rutgers Law Library: Donovan Collection The White Rose (weisserose) was a resistance movement at the University of Munich during the Shoah consisting of college students, Professors and others who stood against the Tyranny of Hitler. Sophie and Hans Scholl, Chris Probst and Professor Huber worked tirelessly to distribute leaflets decrying Nazi despotism. Their first tract is the reason for their inclusion here: it was a copy of Bishop Galen's sermon against the Euthanasia of the Mentally Impaired.PROTOCOLS OF THE ELDERS OF ZION
 One of the most influential but Anti-Semitic Writings of the Shoah. The Protocols of Zion had been around for years surfacing occasionally and supposedly a document exposing plans for Jewish World Domination. The document was fraudulent, but was used mightily by the National Socialists to stir support for Hitler's "Final Solution" (Endlosung) or extermination of the Jews of Europe.With Burning Concern: Encyclical on the Third Reich  The Church was concerned about the Nazis but cautiously publicly approached them. "With Burning Concern" or Mit Brennener Sorge is the document of concern.The ReichsKonkordat: The Concordat between the Vatican and the 3rd Reich  The Church met with Von Papen and other representatives of the Third Reich before the Holocaust. The outlined articles of agreement express the terms of the relationship, including non-interference with the Church. Hitler, of course did not keep the terms of the concordat . 
Pius XI died under questionable circumstances on the edge of WWII, with Hitler and the Anschluss, and some questions
whether the original Concordat had been in the best interest of the world. A small group of Jesuits including LaFarge
drafted at his request a document making clear that its racial policies were not the same as the Nazis, and spelling out
the differences between religious/doctrinal issues vs racial prejudice. Called 'The Hidden Encyclical', many hoped it
would avert a full support of the Vatican for Nazi Germany, although the document was  the last on the desk of Pius XI
as he died, and mysteriously 'disappeared' under the orchestration of Jesuit General Ledochowski. LaFarge went on to
write prolifically on racial equality in the Roman Catholic Church in America. Pacelli, stood by the original agreement
as he took office, beginning with the warm entreaty of throwing a gala birthday celebration for Hitler, at the Roman Church's
expense. This document is still a point of controversy, although many speculate about what might have been had it been
signed.
In this Internal Link, are found other critical letters and Encyclicals which formed Vatican Policy towards the Nazis.
They include definitions and positions on the encroachment of Communism, Mary as a Co-Redemptrix (much later than most suspect),
issues of faith and others. These documents and other sources begin to paint a broad picture of Vatican History and
Politics, including a late 19th century dismissal of the Jesuits from many Western countries, internal politics at
the Holy See, and the emerging parallel doctrinal trend toward 'Mariology' as the events and dynamics of Rome and
Germany met.
Moses Mendelssohn is considered part of the "Jewish Enlightenment" and wrote extensively of a redefinition of Jewish Identity and enculturation while retaining certain basic values and ideas. The Phaedon, is a philosophical treatise based upon Plato's Phoedon which considers the soul and immortality. Other works by Mendelssohn will be shortly added.
MARTIN LUTHER: THE JEWS AND THEIR LIES-1543
 Martin Luther, the Great Reformer, who brought Grace back into view in Christian
Doctrine, meant it apparently only for the Gentile. While early in his stand he embraced and witnessed to the Jews, by the end of his life, he condemned and incited violence towards the Jews, their property, worship and synagogues. This document written in 1543 is excerpted by Fordham U, and the entirity is linked.
 In 1140-1141 a.d. in England, a terrible tale of blood libel, or the blaming of the Jews for blood-guiltiness of the death of a Christian child or innocent was spread resulting in the death of hundreds of Jews in retaliation. A Classic in blood libel literature: Actual text: Taken from Medieval Sourcebook, Fordham U.MARTIN LUTHER: LETTER TO SPALATIN
Martin Luther's letter to Spalatin in approximately 1514, discusses the Vatican charge of heresy against Reuchlin, a Great Christian Hebraist. In this and other letters Spalatin, Luther discusses the Jews blaspheming Christ. Included in Fordham's section on "Medieval Anti-Semitism".ANCIENT ROMAN EDICTS REGARDING THE JEWS
In this excellent resource, original documents are translated regarding
1st century Rome's dealings with the Jews. Included are proclamations and writings from Josephus, Augustus, Claudius and Tacitus. Shows historical underpinnings of Anti-Semitism characterizing Rome from early.  An early Roman Church edict dating from around 313ad
when Constantine took power over Rome, ending 2 centuries of bitter persecutions of the fledgling Christian Church. The Edict of Milan sought civil
liberties for Christians, although the result was a State Church with a mix of paganism and christian doctrine. The Jews found no favor and were expelled.While the Early Christians enjoyed their new liberties under Constantine, the Jews were restricted, defamed and expelled. This portion of legislation outlines exact actions towards the Jews by Constantinus. Cyprian's Writings reasoning the God's wrath against the Jews for their denial of Christ. Oddly, he uses examples from Exodus of wrath against those who kept idols as being expunged from Israel. Against Apion was written by the Jewish historian Josephus who also authored "The Wars of the Jews". He answers Apion's compiled charges against the Jews: a collection of myths, prejudices and rumors. Apion's document was a foundation for later blood libel..MELITO BISHOP OF SARDIS: PERI PASCHA  In "Peri Pascha" or About the Passion or Cross, the Bishop of the City of which Christ notes "I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. ", later decries the Jews for their abandonment of the God who loved them. While the document seeks in love to clarify the meaning of the Cross, it also marks a request for Rome to consider the Jews and Christians separately, hitherto treated as one group, and is also considered the foundation of which many later charged the Jews with "deicide" or "the Death of God". Charges against the Romans are lessened compared to the Jews in this matter.. A Roman Expounding against the Jews..CHRYSOTOM: ADVERSOS JUDAEOS: Against the Jews  An Early Church father takes issue with the Jews.
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