1933 Germany, are we repeating history?
Continuation of the Series
For those who missed the first two sessions, we encourage you to listen to these recordings:
- Introductory presentation exploring similarities between the rise of Adolf Hitler during Nazism and the rise of Donald Trump under the current U.S. administration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2UpWsoccHg.
2. The rise and Detrimental Development of Nazism in Germany in which we see the Catholic and Lutheran Churches playing a significant role in promoting Hitler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vPZ0ytBHUc
Courageous Opposition to Nazism
As we continued our series: 1933 Germany: Are we repeating history, our guest speakers are Fr. Max Stetter, Augsburg and Dr. Regina Franken, Berlin. Click to view the recording of this online presentation: https://youtu.be/VpYmG4BaEU4.
Quick Recap
The group discussed the life and legacy of Max Joseph Metzger, a Catholic priest and peace activist in Nazi Germany, and the importance of remembering female resistance figures like Sister Maria Restituta Kafka. They emphasized the need for standing up against injustice and oppression, drawing inspiration from historical figures who resisted Nazism, and the importance of speaking out in religious communities about social and political issues. The session concluded with a preview of an upcoming discussion on Oscar Romero and a closing prayer.
Next Steps
• All participants must create and join networks beyond their local parishes to amplify their impact on social justice issues.
• All participants must use social media more effectively to counter extremist messaging and promote peace and justice.
• Catholic Women’s Council will continue efforts to combine women’s organizations and share best practices.
• All participants to follow and support the ongoing “pink smoke” actions by women’s organizations advocating for gender equality in the Church.
• CCRI will send all participants the link for the next session on Oscar Romero.
• All participants are to take action, speak out, and motivate others to stand up against injustice in their communities.
Summary
Fr. Max Joseph Metzger’s Peace Activism
The summary discusses Fr. Max Stetter’s presentation on Max Joseph Metzger, a Catholic priest and peace activist in Nazi Germany. Metzger founded the Una Sancta movement for Christian unity and advocated for world peace, social justice, and human dignity. He was arrested multiple times by the Nazi regime and ultimately executed in 1944 for treason after attempting to send a peace proposal to Sweden. Stetter emphasizes Metzger’s holistic approach to peace, his ecumenical work, and his willingness to sacrifice his life for his beliefs.
Sister Maria Restituta’s Legacy in Resistance
Dr. Regina Franken discusses Sister Maria Restituta Kafka as a role model for Catholic women in resistance movements and how they are remembered. She provides background on Sister Restituta’s life and execution by the Nazis in 1943 for refusing to remove crucifixes from hospital rooms and favoring non-Aryan patients. Regina highlights the disparity in how male and female resistance figures are remembered by the Church, with women often honored for defending their faith or virginity rather than their social or political commitments. She argues that women who don’t fit traditional Church images of femininity are often marginalized in remembrance, despite their resistance being rooted in Christian values of equality and freedom.
Standing Up Against Injustice
The group discussed the importance of standing up against injustice and oppression, drawing inspiration from historical figures who resisted Nazism. They emphasize the need to address current issues like the situation in Gaza, threats to democracy in the U.S., and global injustices. Participants share examples of modern-day activists and martyrs, and stress the importance of speaking out in religious communities about social and political issues. They also discuss the need to build networks and use social media to amplify their message. The session concluded with a preview of an upcoming discussion on Oscar Romero and a closing prayer.
Our highest calling as Christians is to imitate what Jesus did while he was on this earth. That is, to stand up for innocent people being treated unjustly and speak out on their behalf.
We are grateful to our sponsors for this series: Spirit Unbounded (SU), the Int’l Catholic Reform Network (ICRN), We Are Church Int’l, the Association of German Catholic priests, the Association of Austrian Catholic priests, the Association of U.S. Catholic priests, Faithful America, and Catholic Church Reform Int’l (CCRI).