CHURCH & STATE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 April 1939, Page 9

CHURCH & STATE

CONDITIONS IN GERMANY. “To those who allege that Germany is anti-religious, I reply that nobody is persecuted, or will be persecuted in Germany because of his religious beliefs or religious actions,” said Herr Hitler in his recent speech to the Reichstag. “The German State has contributed to the Church as follows: In 1933, 130,000,000 marks; in 1934 170 000.000 marks; in 1935. 250.000,000 marks; in 1936. 320,000,000 marks; in 1937, 400,000.000 marks; in 1938, 500,000,000 marks. Church property is worth over 10,000,000,000 marks and the Church has an income of over 300,000,000 marks. If foreigners allege that we are anti-religious this ig...an impertinence. If anyone claims that the Churches are persecuted, we are willing to separate Church and Stale, as in the case of France and the United States. How much does the State give to the Church in France? In England? However, nobody in Germany is allowed to vituperate against the State from the pulpit. It is the duty of the State to destroy enemies of the State. If foreign statesmen are so interested in one German pastorfl reference to Pastor Niemoller, who is now in a concentration camp —it can only be on political grounds. For the same statesmen were silent when tens of thousands of priests were slaughtered in Russia and Spain.”