The Youth Movement in Nazi Germany - The Catholic Mind - No.945 - Leave The Church? Thrice No!

Sep 21, 2026

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A translated sermon from Saint Sylvester’s Night delivered in Munich on December 31, 1941 addresses Nazi persecution of religion during 1941. The text emphasizes that despite official warnings, the Church prays for peace and believers seek divine protection. It argues that Christians face the possible annihilation of Catholic and Protestant foundations, and that the Church is met with distrust, surveillance, restrictions, and confiscations. It rejects slogans urging people to leave the Church, asserting refusal and thrice-no loyalty.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time1 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

THE CATHOLIC MIND

MICHAEL CARDINAL VON FAULHABER

CONSTANT DISTRUST

THIRD CATCH PHRASE

8L 635,6 VoL.XLMay 8,1942No.945 ARCHBISHOP OF MUNICH ON NAZI PERSECUTION # THE YOUTH MOVEMENT IN NAZI GERMANY NAZI DESTRUCTION OF CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE SOME THINGS NEW AND OLD 0cIssued Fortnightly$2.00The America Pressa yea orreet,New Iork,4.),SuISCTlption postpaid.Donestic,IU cents;yearly,52.00;Canad&foreign,$2.50 Entered as second-class matter October 22,1914,at the Post Oficeat New York,N.Y,under the Act of March 4,1879.Acceptance for mailing atspecial rates of postage provided for in Section1103,Act of October 3,1917,authorizedo1 June 29,1913.Trade-mark "Catholic Mind,"Reg.U.S.Pat,Off # THE CATHOLIC MIND | VoL.XL | MAY 8,1942 | No.945 | | --- | --- | --- | Leave The Church?Thrice No! # MICHAEL CARDINAL VON FAULHABER The following is a translation of the full text of the Saint Sylvester'sNight(New Year's Eve)sermon in the Munich Cathedral,December 31,1941,in which His Eminence the Archbishop of Munich,reviewedNazi persecution of religion during 1941.N.C.W.C.NEws SERVICE. 6cTAKE care that the light that is in thee is notI darkness”(Luke ii,35). Even this Christmastide,in spite of all official warn-ings,the angels sang:"Peace to all men on earth."In her liturgy the Church went on praying:"Peace bewith you,"and the hearts of men,in so far as they arenot choked by official orders,cried out:"Lord,give uspeace." The Christian confessions in our country are livingin such peaceful relations with one another as havenot been surpassed in many years.The Christian con-fessions know that it is a question now of the veryexistence or annihilation of Catholics and Protestantsalike,that in peril are the very foundations of Chris-tianity,in peril are the Sacred Scriptures and faith inthe Anointed of the Gospel.One high official has ex-pressly declared that in the fight against Christianity"no distinction is to be made between the variousChristian confessions.” # CONSTANT DISTRUST Peace reigns between the confessions.But from an-other quarter there rages in our country the fiercestdiscord—the most unnecessary,the saddest of all wars,the war against the Church.While at the front Catho-lic soldiers stand shoulder to shoulder with other Ger-man men,equal in sufferings and equal in achievement,heroically sacrificing their lives,—while Catholics athome make the same sacrifices,participate in the samecollections,both prescribed and voluntary,and espe-cially,in these days,in the collection of warm winterclothing for the soldiers at the front,—still the Churchat home is treated with constant distrust,is spiedupon,and oppressed by exceptional restrictions,andbuildings belonging to the Church and to Religious areconfiscated on a far larger scale than private ones. In the past year the war against the Church has cul-minated in the demand to leave the Church.Clearindications give promise that in the new year this de-mand will be made with renewed emphasis and thatthe question,“Will you leave the Church or will youresign your position?”will be raised again,louderthan before.To this question this New Year's Evesermon will give the answer:“No,and thrice no,Iwill not leave the Church.” The First No:I will not leave the Church.I refuseto be misled by slogans. A slogan from the days of the Communists has beenexhumed:Anyone who leaves the Church will nolonger have to pay church rates.In recent weeks anew church assessment law has been promulgated,tobecome effective in the new year.The fiscal authori-ties,who in the past have obligingly collected churchassessments together with income taxes,will no longerdo so,under the new law,after April 1,1942.Propa-ganda against the Church will then take advantage ofthe new situation and will taunt particularly the work- ing classes:You can avoid the church assessment;allyou have to do is leave the Church.Your Archbishophas confidence in you,and trusts that you will not letyourselves be misled by this Communist slogan. Another slogan is being directed at the intellectual:The Chu

FAQs

What does the sermon claim about Nazi persecution of religion in 1941?

It reviews Nazi persecution of religion during 1941 and describes how the Church is subjected to distrust, surveillance, restrictions, and confiscations.

How does the sermon respond to the demand that people leave the Church?

It states the answer is “No, and thrice no,” refusing to leave the Church and rejecting misleading slogans meant to pressure believers.

What “slogans” does the sermon address, and why does it reject them?

It criticizes slogans that promise avoiding church rates by leaving and slogans arguing the Church is obsolete for national-minded people; it counters with Christian and scriptural reasoning about universality.

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Miles