"...on both sides of the Atlantic, as indeed all over the world, the [Roman Catholic] clerical voices were singing the praises of victorious Nazism."
Excerpt from The Secret History of the Jesuits by author Edmond Paris (order from Chick Publications), pages 158-160--
. . .the path of follow was already made clear in 1935 to "re-christianise" France, the regime had to be swept away, and the best way to attain this was to suffer a military defeat which would place us under the German yoke. In 1943, this was confirmed by Pierre Laval, the pope's count and president of the Vichy government:"I hope Germany will be victorious. It may seem strange to hear the one who is defeated wish for the victor's victory. It is because this war is not like previous ones. It is a true war of religion! Yes, a war of religion ". (100) (100) National Radio, 2nd of January 1943.
This indeed was what the Church wanted, even though unpleasant for the forgetful Jesuit Fessard, whom we mentioned earlier on, who doesn't want to know any more what was said on the American radio for the 20 million listeners of the "Christian Front", by his Loyolan [Jesuit] brother Father Coughlin: "The German war is a battle for Christianity". (101) (101) 7th of July 1941.
But during the same period, in occupied France, Cardinal Baudrillart, rector of the Catholic Institute in Paris, was saying the same thing. Listen to him:
"Hitler's war is a noble enterprise undertaken for the defence of European culture".(102) (102) 30th of July 1941.
So, on both sides of the Atlantic, as indeed all over the world, the clerical voices were singing the praises of victorious Nazism.
In France, Cardinal Suhard, archbishop of Paris, set the example to all the episcopate by "collaborating" fully, and so did the Jesuit nuncio Monseigneur Valerio Valeri.
After the Liberation, the government asked the Vatican to recall no less than thirty bishops and archbishops who were deeply compromised. In the end, it consented to recall three of them.
"France has forgotten. . .", wrote M. Maurice Nadeau. 'La Croix', the most dangerous mouthpiece at the service of collaboration, takes its place amongst the publications of a liberated France; the prelates who were urging the French youth to work for the victory of Germany have not been brought to trial".(103) (103) Foreward to "L'Eglise a-t-elle collabore"?, by Jean Cotereau (Spartacus, Paris, May 1946)
One could read in "Artaban" of the 13th of December 1957:
"in 1944, 'La Croix' was prosecuted for having favoured the enemy and brought before the Court of Justice in Paris; the case was put in the hands of Judge Raoult who dismissed it. The affair was discussed at the Chamber, on the 13th of March 1946 (see J.O. Parliamentary Debates, pages 713-714) and it was learned, then, that M. de Menthon, minister for Justice and thorough at purging the French press, had spoken in favour of 'La Croix'.
In fact, "the voice of pontifical thought"--as Pius XII called it, in 1942, when sending it his blessing--was the only one exempted from the general measures taken to suppress all the newspapers published during the occupation, even though, as 'Artaban' reminds us:
"'La Croix' received instructions from the German Lieutenant Sahm and, in Vichy, from Pierre Laval".
Of course, the 'pontifical thought' and hitlerian instructions happily coincided. This is confirmed when we study the war-time editions of this estimable paper.
One of the Jesuits' attributions, and not one of the least important, is to supervise all the Catholic Press. In the various papers adapted to the needs of their readers, they bring out, as necessary, the various shades of this 'pontifical thought' which, under it undulating aspects, nevertheless reaches implacably towards it aims. There is not one "Chrisitan" newspaper or periodical that does not enjoy the collaboration of some--discreet--Jesuits.
These Fathers who are "all things to all men" are of course the best at playing Chameleons. This they did, as we know, and after the Liberation, we had the surprise to see coming up, everywhere, Fathers "who had belonged to the resistance" (they joined it later than others!), and who testified that the Church had NEVER NEVER "collaborated".
Forgotten, abolished, evaporated were the articles of 'La Croix' and other Catholic newspapers, episcopal mandates, the pastoral letters, the official communications from the Assembly of Cardinals and Archbishops, the exhortations of Cardinal Baudrillart calling on French youths to don the nazi uniform and serve in the L.V.F. after having taken an oath of allegiance to Hitler! All of this was past and forgotten!
. . .the whitewashing is being carried out extensively.
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