Catholics are the one true religion? (Was Re: Recycling subject lines saves trees)

[Luke -Jr]

On Wednesday 12 March 2008, Philip Dorr wrote:
> Hitler was catholic!
>
> http://www.liberalslikechrist.org/Catholic/HitlersFaith.html
>
> *So long as Adolf Hitler was in power,*
>
> > his Roman Catholic Church
> > *never questioned his Catholicism*
> > - at least not in public - which is
> > where it mattered politically.

Good misinformation there...

	"He [Pope Pius XII] is also sometimes criticized for not excommunicating
	 Hitler, but Hitler was already excommunicated ipso facto for a whole range
	 of crimes and could only have returned to the Catholic faith, even assuming
	 that he would ever have wanted to, by having his excommunication lifted by
	 the Pope himself. The lifting of the sentence was reserved to the Holy See,
	 latae sententiae. Besides, the complaint assumes that Hitler took some
	 notice of the Holy See and the Catholic Church. Insofar as he did, it was
	 for purely political reasons, since he was forced to recognize the influence
	 of the Catholic Church and the papacy. Hitler described himself as "a
	 complete pagan" (see Hitler’s Table Talk) and regarded the Catholic Church
	 as his greatest enemy, which he would destroy when he had the opportunity."