Language:
English
Year of publication:
2000
Titel der Quelle:
Australian Journal of Politics and History
Angaben zur Quelle:
46,3 (2000) 357-377
Keywords:
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
;
Church history 20th century
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Abstract:
Stresses that, despite opposition to racism and antisemitism before World War II, the Catholic and Protestant (Reformed) Churches in France basically remained silent in the face of antisemitic policies of the Vichy government from the fall of France until the appointment of the antisemite Xavier Vallat as Commissioner for Jewish Affairs. While French Protestants, led by Pastor Marc Boegner, made some efforts to exert their limited influence, the Catholics were silent. This silence reflected the moral failure of preferring self-interest - the restoration of the Church to preeminence in France - to speaking out in defense of Jewish victims of racial discrimination. Only after 50,000 Jews were deported did the French Catholic hierarchy speak out. Then, at that late stage, their words did have some effect, i.e. in convincing Vichy to cancel some denaturalizations of Jews.
DOI:
10.1111/1467-8497.00102/full
URL:
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