How Did The Nazis Respond To A Violation Of Freedom?

Nazism effected freedoms in the 20th century, the Catholic Church responded to these violations of freedom through foreign aid, encyclicals, and concordats. The Catholic Church defines freedom in catechism 1723 as the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude.” The Nazis breached Catholics freedom by claiming jurisdiction over all collective and social activity, interfering with Catholic schooling, youth groups, workers' clubs and cultural societies. The catholic church
responded to this by protecting the faith in Germany by signing the Reich Concordat (1933)
However, Nazi violations of the Concordat commenced almost immediately after it was signed, thus, restricting peoples freedom.

Nazi Ideology violated basic human rights, and catholic social teaching, thus violating people’s freedoms.
This state was a autocratic totalitarian regime this gave extensive state power and all decisions were made by a powerful leader (fuhrer). No other political parties or organisations were tolerated, their freedom was restricted. Other groups who wield political influence, such as unions and churches, were restricted or abolished. For example the Nazis violated the terms of the ReichKoncorat and closed down Catholic youth organisations replacting them with the Hitler youth. The government had the authority to control the press and unions; restrict civil liberties and freedoms; manage education and employ propaganda. Civil liberties, individual rights and freedoms were largely irrelevant and subordinate to the interests of the state. Another key policy of Nazism was expansionism. Hitler dreamed of unifying the German-speaking Aryan peoples of Europe, into a greater German state the volskmeinshaft. Annihilating other races and their freedom to live in the process. Hitler’s policies allowed the Nazis to restrict freedoms and violate religious organizations causing Germans to not have the right of
choice.

The Catholic church believes that people created in the image of God, have the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being." (Compendium, No.
199). God gave humans the power to be free though, “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." (John Paul11) The use of people’s freedom must be measured. It is said that Catholics are free to exercise their will, but will be judged according to their actions in the Last Judgment.
1 Corinthians 8:9 writes be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. The Compendium of the Catholic Church also writes the choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to "the slavery of sin." (CCC 1731-1733)/. The Nazis abused their freedoms and the Catholic Church responded to this with approach of neutrality however, they also offered support in foreign aid encyclicals and a concordat to protect Catholic freedom in
Germany.

The Reich Concordat was signed to protect catholic freedoms, though, was disregarded by Hitler. Almost immediately after signing the Concordat, the Nazis promulgated their sterilization law (July 14, 1933) the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring—an offensive policy in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber spoke out about the issue saying “"when your officials or your laws offend Church dogma or the laws of morality, and in so doing offend our conscience, then we must be able to articulate this as responsible defenders of moral laws". Soon after the Nazis made moves began to dissolve the Catholic Youth League. This broke articles 19-25 which gave protection to the freedom to the Catholic education system. Pope Pius XI responded to this by writing in Mc Brennender sorge If the state organizes a national youth, and makes this organization obligatory to all, then, without prejudice to rights of religious association, it must be purged of all manifestations hostile to the church and Christianity. Clergy, nuns and lay leaders were also targeted. Priests were watched closely and frequently denounced, arrested and sent to concentration camps. For example Cardinal Faulhaber was shot at and Cardinal Innitzer had his Vienna residence ransacked in October 1938. The sanctity of the confessional was also violated by Gestapo agents. This violated the freedoms of the church and broke article 1 of the concordat. In response to this Pope Pius XI spoke that a believer has an absolute right to profess his faith and live according to its dictates. Laws which impede this profession and the practice of faith are against natural law.
The church hierarchy in Germany, were highly disillusioned and Pope Pius XI further spoke that it was sowing the "tares of suspicion, discord, hatred, calumny, of secret and open fundamental hostility to Christ and His Church" Catholic welfare programs were also restricted on the basis they assisted the "racially unfit". This broke article 15, and Pope Pius responded to this in his Christmas message in 1942 saying that the church could not turn a deaf ear to her children’s anguished cries. Thus the Church took an active role in defending Catholics against the horrific breaches of freedom.

Thus, Nazism effected freedoms in the 20th century, the Catholic Church responded to these violations of freedom through foreign aid, encyclicals, and concordats. By doing this they protected Catholics freedom to recognised as a free and responsible being.