Language:
German
Year of publication:
1997
Titel der Quelle:
Freiburger Rundbrief; Zeitschrift für christlich-jüdische Begegnung
Angaben zur Quelle:
4,4 (1997) 241-249
Keywords:
Catholic Church Relations
;
Judaism
;
Catholic Church.
;
Antisemitism
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Catholic Church
Abstract:
Pope Pius XI was deeply distressed by the persecution of the Jews in Nazi Germany; he reminded Catholics that "in a spiritual sense we are all Semites", and therefore antisemitism is incompatible with Christianity. He commissioned the American Jesuit John LaFarge, who had written a book against racism, with the writing of an encyclical; LaFarge was aided by Gustav Gundlach, author of the article on antisemitism in the "Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche". The article opposed antisemitism based on ethnic differences but supported it when aimed at harmful Jewish influences on culture, the state, and religion. Gundlach's views dominate the sections of the encyclical dealing with antisemitism; they revert to traditional anti-Jewish theology, including the deicide accusation, even while condemning antisemitism. The encyclical reached the Pope only two weeks before his death. In the rush of events it was laid aside; it was rediscovered and published only in 1995, in France.
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