Friedrich Niemoller was a German Lutheran pastor who was active in German politics in the 1930’s. As a national conservative, he was initially a supporter of Adolf Hitler. However, after Hitler sought to take control over the Lutheran church, Niemoller became a vocal critic of the Nazi regime. For that, he was imprisoned in Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps from 1937 to 1945. After the war, he was asked why he ever supported Hitler. He replied: “I find myself wondering about that too. I wonder about it as much as I regret it. Still, it is true that Hitler betrayed me. I had an audience with him, as a representative of the Protestant church, shortly before he became Chancellor, in 1932. Hitler promised me on his word of honor, to protect the church, and not to issue any anti-church laws. He also agreed not to allow pogroms against the Jews. Hitler’s assurance satisfied me at the time. On the other hand, I hated the growing atheistic movement, which was fostered and promoted by the Social Democrats and the Communists. Their hostility toward the Church made me pin my hopes on Hitler for a while. I am paying for that mistake.”
After the war Niemoller made the following statement against the German intellectuals during the war (of which he was one):
First they came for the communists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak out because I was Protestant.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
I’m not seeking to compare our elected and appointed governmental leaders to anyone in the Nazi regime, but we must look at our country and see what is happening. Fringe groups of radicals are engaged in social engineering that is having a disastrous effect on our moral values. First, abortion became the law of the land. Attempts were made to legalize euthanasia. Governments have changed the definition of marriage. Birth control is available over the counter. These affronts to human dignity are a threat to the ability of the Catholic Church to preach the Gospel. Now, the Department of Health and Human Services has said that Catholic institutions must pay for medications it deems “preventative medicine” such as birth control, sterilizations and drugs that cause abortions. It’s as if to say the pregnancy is some sort of disease! Make no mistake: this is not about “birth control.” This is an attack on our faith. This is our government being swayed by radical social engineers who hate the values of the Catholic Church. If we don’t speak up for the teachings our faith, who will speak up for us when they come to seize our church?