LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

RESPONSE TO: EVALUATING THE LEGITIMACY OF GERMAN CHAPLAIN'S UNDER HITLER'S RULE

A PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR. CHARLES DAVIDSON IN PARTIAL COMPLETION OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE INTRODUCTION TO CHAPLAINCY MINISTRY CHPL 500 - B01

BY NICHOLAS GUIDRY

HUNTSVILLE, TX FEBRUARY 2012

Module 4: Evaluating the Legitimacy of German Chaplain's Under Hitler's Rule During this course students have studied to develop a working knowledge of the role, responsibilities, and duties of the Chaplain throughout history. However, the learning process must experience a paradigm shift when examining those Chaplains that served under the dictatorship of Adolph Hitler, and a moral questionable command. This paradigm shift will be founded on the notion of understanding the role of Chaplains during this period. Second, it is imperative to understand how these roles are in contrast to the previously discussed periods. Finally, the conversation must shift to a strict evaluation of the legitimacy of these Chaplains, and to if the reader is able to truly deem these mean Chaplains at all. The role of Chaplain during this period was mired by a staunch faithfulness to the tenets of the Church, but a forced loyalty to a domineering political establishment. The Chaplains first duty was to somehow couple a deep religious conviction with the notion of a warrior culture. Fundamentally, the reader must recognize the condition by which the Chaplain entered active service during this period. There was not voluntary process involving application, but rather the clergy member was in essence drafted into service. The Nazi leadership believed that all males in the country had a moral obligation to become active military participates, and the Chaplain was not an exception. The Chaplains were caught in ideological triangle in which they had to prioritize their allegiances. Most would hold fast in their allegiance to the Church, and then to provide pastoral care to their men. Their allegiances to the country is important, but is mired by the prospect of allegiance to the tenets of Nazism. The roles of the German Chaplain had much in common with most Chaplains from the previously studied periods. The German Chaplain was primarily entrusted with providing

pastoral care to the Soldier under his spiritual supervision. This would include provided services on religious holiday, communion, and last rites for a Soldier who died in the assigned command. The Chaplain was also entrusted with being a moral compass for the Soldier. This simply alludes to the fact the Chaplain was seen has the moral example for the Soldier, and thus a symbol of right and wrong actions. However, with this being stated the Chaplain had a great hurdle to pass in the form of the command philosophy of Nazism. Nazism as an ideological is wholly anti-religion and any powerful institutionalized belief system that is contrary to its core tenets. This would diminish the effective of the German Chaplain, and simply limit their role as spiritual symbols of the Catholic Church in order to keep morale high amongst the Soldiers. This is the bedrock for evaluation the legitimacy of these Chaplains. The Chaplains of this period were not actually Chaplains as we now the term. However, this is not because of the Chaplains themselves, but rather a construction of a corrupt and totalitarian political culture. To illuminate the issue Martin Bormann, Hitler's private secretary asserted National Socialist and Christian concepts cannot be reconciled. Churches are built on ignorance and it is only in this way that the church can retain its power. National Socialism, in contrast, rests on scientific foundations.1 This was an overarching sentiment of the time, and this fact promoted fear amongst Chaplains. This Chaplain became fearful and disassociated. The disassociation would devalue their roles, and lead to a quasi-Chaplaincy that was completely illegitimate. All Chaplains that would raise their voice for traditional Chaplaincy schema would be dealt with.

Gnter Lewy. The Catholic Church and Nazi Germany. (Toronto: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1964), pg.253