What did Catholics do to help Jews during the Holocaust?

Answer 1

Basically nothing. A few did things on an individual basis, but as a group; nothing.

You will find the names of a few thousand Catholics who helped the Jews in 'Righteous among Nations", but the Catholic Church was an organisation that had during Hitler's leadership distributed encyclicals which were read out all over the country at exactly the same time, it they wanted to do something to warn the people, or to get them to protest, they could have done. Though the help that individuals gave was good and was all that they could do, the Catholic Church could have done so much more.

Roman Catholic AnswerToo many things to be counted. Many bishops, from the Pope on down went out of their way and endangered themselves to issue baptismal and other documents, to hide Jews in monasteries and convents. The Church, as such, is a group of individuals, not a nation with an army and it helped as a group of individuals. Pope Pius XII did an awful lot that is just coming to light now, down to the individual Catholic in the pews who entered the service to fight the Nazis or the individual who hid the family next door. Unfortunately, there were as many Catholics who did nothing or worse then nothing, but the Church is comprised of sinners in every nation and you can not judge one with the actions of another.

ADDITIONAL ANSWER FROM A PROTESTANT THEOLOGIAN:

The Pope did not make a Worldwide Verbal Declaration against Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. He did help many Jews as you read above. But, many protestants complained that he did not take a strong stance against Hitler. Consider the Pope's dilemma. Italy had allied with Germany and it was dangerous for the Pope to take a strong stance against the Nazis. Hitler himself said that the Pope was the only one who never cooperated with Hitler. You see the Pope chose the road of avoidance and did all he could to avoid Hitler's demands and actions.

The Catholic Priests around Europe did denounce Hitler and many were killed for it and for helping the Jews. In Belgium, one Priest openly protested against the Nazis and gave his church parishioners papers that denounced the Nazis. He was reprimanded for doing it but he kept up his work doing all he could do against the Nazis and to help the Jews.

It is unfair to say the Roman Catholics did nothing. They did so some things just as the Protestants did. Remember the famous Christian German man Bonhoeffer was murdered by Adolf Hitler for his actions against the Nazis and for helping the Jews and Christians. Well, some of the people who were killed at the same time with him were Catholics.

It is also important to remember the Germans were primarily Catholics. They had their religion banned by the Nazis. They lived in fear for their lives. Many were killed because of their active faith and their resistance actions.

So it is unfair to say the Pope and the Catholics did nothing. They did do something and many died for their efforts.