The Grey Book Part 27

c. Humane methods in the treatment of Jews. Revocation of the order which, in cases of mixed marriages, empowered the non-Jewish party to obtain a divorce, and declared as Jewish the party that failed to comply with this regulation.

d. The cessation of the deportations.

e. Security for the lives of the Jews.

On November 24, 1944, the Deputy Prime Minister replied in the name of the Government. He informed then that Szalasi had succeeded in obtaining the Fuehrer's permission to grant the following points:

"No alteration to be made in the legal status of mixed marriages, the Jews to be separated from the rest of the population of Budapest, and the labour service companies to be directed towards the German frontier, because it was to be feared that they might commit atrocities in the case of a Russian occupation.

When carrying out these measures, however, the principle of humanity would be respected." [453]

<205> On November 26, 1944, Bishop Ravasz again wrote to the Roman Catholic Primate proposing united action. "The Primate, tired and very ill, replied that he had already intervened with Szalasi and that he did not feel like repeating the intervention in the company of others." [454]

On Dec. 1, 1944, the Bishops of the Reformed and Lutheran Churches presented a note to the so-called "Leader of the Nation".

"It follows from the prophetic office of Christ's Church that the servant of the Church should always raise his voice when men's acts gravely violate G.o.d's laws", wrote Bishop Ravasz. The letter stressed, that "the treatment meted out mocks G.o.d's eternal laws which prescribe humane treatment even toward one's enemies, and brings down G.o.d's anger on the head of the nation. This treatment casts a dark blot on the name of the Magyar nation which, for a thousand years, had been known to the world for its generosity and chivalry." [455]

A pastoral letter issued in December, 1944, called on the pastors to pray at the services for "the scattered flock of Israel, the homeless and the persecuted." [456]

On May 9, 1946, the Hungarian Reformed Church declared that "in deep humility she confesses her guilt and offence against G.o.d's honour... She had not laboured in time to warn the people and the rulers, when they embarked on a course contrary to G.o.d's laws, and she had not strongly taken her stand on the side of the innocent persecuted human beings." [457]

<206>

THE NEUTRAL COUNTRIES

31 SWITZERLAND

a. Press Censorship

Switzerland remained neutral throughout the second world war, but it was surrounded by the Axis powers and to a great extent economically dependent on them. The Swiss Government tried to avoid offending the Germans, and thus the press was forbidden to make foreign propaganda or to publish stories about atrocities committed by the warring parties, "of which the objective correctness could not be verified".

Even in June, 1943, the press censorship issued the following order: "There recently appeared several articles about Jews and Polish clergy, without mentioning their source of information. It is understandable that our conscience should be moved by all such inhuman treatment, but yet we must strictly obey the instructions of the Press emergency law, which stipulates that it is our duty to suppress rumours and foreign propaganda." [458]

Thus censorship imposed silence on the press concerning reports of "b.l.o.o.d.y murders of hostages and persecution of Jews". The first time, however, that, to the best of my knowledge, Church leaders in Switzerland spoke out about the persecution of the Jews during the second world war, they did so in a protest against censorship of the Press.

On October 27, 1941, the following Pet.i.tion was presented by the "Social Study Committee of the Swiss Reformed Pastors Union" to the Swiss Federation of Churches: <207>

1. We take the liberty of drawing the attention of the Swiss Federation of Churches, which is the spokesman of the Swiss Churches to the Federal Authorities, to the alarming position of the Evangelical Reformed Church.

2. The press-censor has repeatedly taken severe measures against men who, as representatives of the Evangelical Church, have raised their voices to inform public opinion.

These measures have aroused deep and widespread concern in many circles to whose notice they have come, despite the ban on the publication of such matters, and have led to the opinion that the Evangelical Church is no longer allowed to p.r.o.nounce the truth entrusted to its care...

3. We especially bear in mind the silence imposed on us by our censorship concerning the injustice of the b.l.o.o.d.y murders of hostages and the persecution of Jews. When mentioning this subject, we should certainly not shout about it from the roof tops, but under no circ.u.mstances should our sense of justice and injustice be blunted within our national conscience. Otherwise we shall invoke G.o.d's heavy punishment on our country.

Therefore, we take exception to the reproach levied at us by some, that such intrepid talk of injustice by a foreign nation, is a misjudgement.

4. The apprehension we bring to your notice particularly gains alarming weight by the fact that we, as Evangelical and democratic citizens of Switzerland, have to look on while un-Christian and undemocratic ideologies and deeds cross our borders unhindered in the form of many foreign newspapers and ill.u.s.trated periodicals, which are thus able to exert their influence on young and old. Does not this give rise to the impression that our highest authorities do not sufficiently recognize the danger of a moral and spiritual capitulation on our part, or consider it to be of only secondary importance?

We therefore request the Federation of Churches: a. That it remonstrate with the highest responsible authorities of our country and draw their attention to the deep concern and alarm which these measures by our censorship have aroused in large circles of our Evangelical Church.

b. That it publicly voice its opinion on the matter and unequivocally make known its stand, with the full weight of its authority.

c. That it emphatically take a stand on behalf of all persons in our Church, whose freedom of speech is endangered or impaired, and that it encourage our Church authorities and Synods to make use of their divinely authorized right of freedom of speech. [459]

On November 17, 1941, a conference of the "Swiss Protestant Relief Society for the Confessing Church in Germany" was held at Wipkingen near Zurich. It was attended by 300 churchmen from all parts of Switzerland. A Resolution regarding the Censorship of ecclesiastical publications was presented and unanimously adopted. We quote from this resolution the following: <208> "The undersigned Reformed Swiss Pastors have taken note of the following facts: That the Department for Press and Radio of the army has imposed preliminary censorship on the periodical Neue Wege, and thus has prevented its further publication; ...

that the same office has demanded of the Swiss press that they refrain henceforth from taking any stand on the execution of hostages by a foreign power;...

They herewith publicly protest against these measures, as they are concessions to the spirit and methods of a policy incompatible with the Reformed Confession and pernicious to the Swiss Federation.

They herewith publicly declare that they are determined to continue to fulfil their duty, to declare the truth to our people, the suppression of which is attempted by these measures."

One hundred pastors signed this "Protest and Declaration", which was submitted to the Federal Government and to the Army Commanders. [460]

The same Conference adopted the following Resolution on "The Jewish Problem":

"The Conference meeting to-day at Zurich-Wipkingen sends to the Committee of the Swiss Protestant Church Federation the urgent request that it should take action so that all the Reformed Churches in Switzerland may make a public statement on the Jewish problem.

Not only the most recent deportations of the Jews, whose number and character are particularly frightful, but also certain announcements which have appeared even in the Swiss press, make it a duty for the Church, for the sake of its own members, to proclaim before the whole world: 1. That the Church, to which the Gospel of the mercy of G.o.d is entrusted, calls its members to pray for the suffering Jewish people and to do everything they can to alleviate this suffering.

2. That the Church, to which the message of the creation of man in the image of G.o.d is entrusted, condemns as a revolt against the will of G.o.d as Creator the violence which is done to the image of G.o.d in persecuting a race and humiliating it.

3. That the Church, to which the message of the Revelation of G.o.d in the people of Israel is entrusted, knows itself, as the Church of Jesus Christ, to be bound up in a special way with the fate of the Jewish nation. Because 'salvation comes of the Jews' (St. John 4, 22), anti-Semitism is incompatible with membership in the Christian Church." [461]

<209> On August 30, 1942, a meeting was held of the "Young Church", attended by about 6,000 young people. Supreme Court Justice Dr. M. Wolff, who in his capacity as President of the Synod conveyed the greetings of the Church of Zurich, declared:

"Switzerland is in extremely danger. One speaks of a new order in Europe, but this order is characterised by attacks on other nations; by the murdering of hostages and the persecution of Jews. This new order means a denial of the Christian faith...

The best contribution the Church of Switzerland can render to-day is, to be a true Church, faithfully proclaiming the word of G.o.d. Its freedom to preach must therefore be preserved unrestrictedly. We shall be grateful for a State Church, so long as the State recognizes the Church's right to exercise its function as Watchman. Zwingli has unequivocally insisted on this.

Unfortunately, the Church's function as Watchman is now being threatened by press censorship. The State must not demand that the Church should refrain from clearly distinguishing between right and wrong. The Church must now fight for its right to raise its voice against the rejection of poor refugees; in a clear "Yes" to Jesus Christ, and in a clear "No" to the dark powers of this world." [462]

On October 28, 1942, Dr. Wollf said in his Opening Address to the Synod of Zurich:

"... It is therefore not surprising that, when a clearer profession resulted through the awakening of the Church in recent years, its freedom of speech was often denied by political coercion, and the Church was told that it had no right to interfere in Government matters.

The Gospel knows nothing about neutrality of opinion and nothing of a policy of false silence, advocated currently by higher circles." [463]

b. Anti-Semitism within and outside Switzerland

In several declarations anti-Semitism within, as well side, Switzerland was denounced unequivocally, but the name of Germany was seldom mentioned.

In May, 1942, the Synodal Council of Bern published the following Declaration: <210> "Deeply concerned by the fact that hatred of the Jews is being stirred up both openly and secretly also in our country, the Council of the Evangelical Federation of Churches has requested the cantonal Church authorities to use their good offices so that our att.i.tude as Evangelical Christians towards the Jewish question be maintained against all such plots.

Our att.i.tude towards Jewry is not based on economical or racial problems. It is not even a matter of conducting oneself humanely and decently; the question has a far deeper significance and only can be understood correctly and answered in the light of biblical teaching.

Therefore above all it is essential, that we reach a Christian understanding of the Jewish question; only then shall we be able to overcome, on the basis of a deeper understanding, the common prejudices and slogans; and especially, the latent disparaging att.i.tude towards the Jews.

Wherever anti-Jewish att.i.tudes appear within a congregation, we must not remain pa.s.sive; we have an obligation to emphasize the Evangelical stand on this matter, and to admonish and counsel. Above all, we should not slacken in our intercession on behalf of the people of Israel." [464]

In June, 1942, a similar Declaration was issued by the Council of Pastors in Geneva:

"Our Church cannot keep silent in face of anti-Semitic propaganda which is in danger of becoming stronger in our own country. At a time when the Jews elsewhere are the victims of plunder and persecution, the Church must define her spiritual position.

1. The Apostolic message which declares that there is no longer Jew nor Greek in Jesus Christ forbids us to make any distinction in the community of the baptized. A Jew attached to the Christian Church by his conversion and baptism is a member of it on exactly the same basis as every other faithful Christian.

2. Christendom has denied the spirit of her Lord every time she has maltreated or persecuted the descendants of those for whose pardon Jesus prayed to the Father. Our obligation is to deal with all men in justice and charity on the grounds that they are indeed our brothers.

3. The race from which came the prophets and the apostles, and to which Jesus Christ belonged, deserves our respect. We owe Jews a debt of grat.i.tude, and if Christians pray to G.o.d for the conversion of the chosen people they must also implore divine mercy for persecuted Israel; they must sympathize with the grief which they are suffering; they must suffer in sympathy the injustices which Jews once more are suffering.

Strong in the convictions of our Evangelical faith we invite members of our Churches to resist all efforts to introduce in our country anti-Semitic racialism which is condemned by the spirit of our Master and by all teaching which is derived from the Holy Scriptures. [465]

<211> On September 30, 1942, the a.s.sembly of the Swiss Pastors' Union, meeting at Liestal, adopted the following Resolution:

"We confess on the basis of the Holy Scripture that the hope of the Church through the grace and faithfulness of G.o.d in Jesus Christ is indissolubly bound up with the hope for the Jews.

We therefore declare that all anti-Semitism is irreconcilable with confession of Jesus Christ.

It is the holy duty of every Christian to help the tortured Jews by intercession and active love." [466]

That warnings against anti-Semitic influences in Switzerland were not superfluous, was shown in the Report concerning the Fund Drive for Aid to Refugees, which was held in October-November, 1942. The Report stated:

"... The reasons for the diverse reactions to our fundraising appeals in the German and the French-speaking parts of Switzerland, are of a complex nature.

From an inquiry made by the cantonal committees we learn that the press in general took a stand against aid to refugees.

An article by Pierre Grellet, the Bern correspondent of the 'Gazette de Lausanne', published in November, had a distinct undercurrent of anti-Semitic feeling, characteristic of his att.i.tude. There were also other expressions of anti-Semitism in the press.

In contrast to the German-speaking press which protested against the turning away of refugees from our borders, this action triggered no particular reactions in the French-speaking press. [467]

c The Admission of Refugees

Like the Government of the Netherlands, the Swiss Government had already closed the Swiss borders before the war. <212> The Church Council of Canton Zurich stated, in 1938: "It pains us that consideration for so many unemployed citizens in our own nation prevents us from offering a protecting asylum to the suffering refugees, who, like wild game, are chased from country to country." [468]

In the summer of 1942, ma.s.s raids took place in France and many Jewish refugees tried to find asylum and safety in Switzerland. They often crossed the French-Swiss frontier "illegally".