The Reich Concordat

In the year 1933 the Pope was Pius XI signed an agreement between the Vatican and the Nazi government, called the Reich Concordat (Reichskonkordat in german), which gave rights to the Catholic Church for freedom in Germany. It was signed on July 20, 1933 by Eugenio Pacelli, who was the Cardinal Secretary of State and who later became Pope Pius XII, and President Paul von Hindenburg.

Cardinal Pacelli strongly believed that the Pope had an authority that nobody could challenge, so he expected for very long to create a treaty and impose the Pope’s authority among Catholics in Germany. He wanted also to have a good relationship with that country, because it was one of the most powerful Catholic territories.

Through this Concordat, the Holy See could impose laws among the German clergy, had some benefits and privileges in German Catholic Schools, and they thought it would also help to avoid Nazi persecution to the German Catholics. And what Germany was going to receive was that the Pope was going to encourage the German clergy to take less part in the politics.

Cardinal Pacelli feared persecutions to Catholic people, not because they were not powerful, but because years before, when they had been persecuted by other organizations, they had lost under them.

Many countries criticized the Concordat, especially the ones who view Germany as a powerful danger.

The Nazis violated repeatedly the terms of the Concordat, which were 34 articles.  They violated especially the Article 31, which said that “those Catholic organizations and societies which pursue exclusively charitable, cultural or religious ends, and, as such, are placed under the ecclesiastical authorities, will be protected in their institutions and activities”. So when this happened, the Pope Pius XI wanted to protest against this, but his secretary of State was afraid of the reaction among German Catholics, so they convinced him to keep quiet.

This Concordat is very controversial, one of the most controversial ones agreed between states and the Vatican while Pius XI was the Pope.

They say that this agreement gave moral authority to the Nazi regime after Hitler had obtained dictatorial powers, having placed restriction on Catholics to response, leading them to keep quiet.

From the side of the Church, they say that this Concordat prevented bad people being set free against the Church.

The Pope wanted to keep the Concordat until the end of World War II, and it is still in discussion until these days.