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5/31/1957 - The Motorized Minority: Giessen’s Catholics. Part II by David Binder

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS DB Plockstrasse The Motorized Minority Giessen Catholics Part Giesssn Germany May Mr Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Roers The casual observer glances imposing spire Giessen Bonifatiuskirche might think Catholic establish ended there Far Just St Joseph Hospital which managed Niederbronn Sisters A couple houses rther Liebigstrasse Salbau combination rstaurant meeting housed former Catholic church Down block Kettelerhaus named soclal mlnded century bishop Now occupying building Jesuits Ctholic religion classes local schools congregations outlyin A thousand yards south Frankfurterstrasse C ritashaus charity organization St Stephanus It houses infirm young A blocks Caritashaus Haus Elisabeth transit center refugee girls young mothers staffed Catholic Welfare Organization In addition these physical establishments creations Church separate organimations active Giessen Seven these youth roups The include prayer societies building associstions choir academic society Catholic Action which workin purchase organ Most these groups least month All least occsslonsl attention priest As result Giessen ecclesiastics It surprise every motorized One mobile ministers aplan Wlter Seidel bushy haired Silesian resonant voice Besides givin religious instruction hours Giessen professional chools suburban congregstions ttend weekends He heavy schedule baptisms burials confessions hospitsl visits Finally teaches convert class local young discussion group Two weeks crscked while under appointment another The vital problem Seldel problem weighs How priests administrstive duties enough individual parish members If I people individually I Then I tired There seven younE women three young Kaplan Seidel current convert class It Tuesday evening Seidel group recently heated Frankfurterstrasse He black windbreaker cleri vestments His cheeks began The decisive experience sacrament altar transmutation God God Seidel talked softly ceaselessly hours voice running mountain stream He spoke intelligence You learn whole person Otherwise heaven Hs cited early church There Latin chorus Just priest broke bread Now splendid churches every decoration You might explain God primitive people His should God something return Jesus walked earth The decoration there Jesus external He concluded Catholicism endless secret Just great museum religion That should going church every Sunday About these converts persons intend marry Catholics The chosen enter Church other reasons In Giessen number converts Catholicism seems about equal those become Protestants In recent years local parish average Catholics annually other denominations The converts A couple weeks Kaplan Seidel successful concert Saalbau The production collect money towards construction church congregation urban Garbenteich About showed payed Aup singers players perform classic modern pieces everything Mozart Moussorgsky Afterwards Seidel urged guests purchase potted flowers little remembrance evenin pfennigs He And month Seidel helped produce reading German Draussen Tur translated English The Man Outside Wolfgan Borchert Directing performance playing leading Volksscule teachers Raimund Domogalla DB The striking aspect production Catholic Church backed Draussen Tur remarkable about returning veteran Russian campaign It bitter eloquent denunciation modern society In God portrayed helpless scorned legged veteran It would appear Catholic insofar denies value God existence Seidel himself veteran She public discussion after performance Like oters discussion Seidel returning conclusion The piece veteran shouting Calls himself God He cries Why silent Will nswer Said Seidel The question Lord emptiness It conceive Ctholc group small American producing something controversial Draussen vo__n Tur having discussion afterwards Kaplan Seidel Giessen years During cemented views about position Church Upper Hesse Here We troubled liberals Lutherans It matter relations liberals knowledge their Hesse showroom Social Democrat It radical We tinual difficulties question freedom instruction schools The Socialists Cuse shortening religious instruction There Protestants schools We priests We along right other fession remember churches crushed together duing welded toether The other chaplain Giessen psrish Wolfang Rolly R native Darmstadt He skinny brown glssses quiet voice modest person Rolly about His Job supervisin youngsters parish youth groups However addition congregations Giessen atteud school instruction hours Like Kaplan Seidel complains shortness I visit private homes months Rolly estimates eight vacation years His youth organizstions include scout groups young group women New Germany League school Helland Saviour schools girls Young Christian Workers group Each members Each meets Besides discussion religious devotions groups oamplng trips hikes Rolly generation youngsters super ficial He added They serious They cares But narrow minded previous generations The problem finding enough leaders youth movements Nobody wants volunteer Although Giessen Catholic theological faculty dissolved acentury University still students Catholics The carrying first Catholic pastors modern period DB Johannes Elever He title student pastor DB Klever vigorous voiced unruly shock stiff thick circles under A native Duisburg years While Job students spends workin parish press secretary In latter capacity deender faith questions radio papers The student pastor supervises Catholics enrolled Giessen H chschu_l_e Engineering School Aricultural School Once holds Mass students Boni fatiuskirche He student discussion groups guides tours foreign countries spiritual counselor Catholic fraternities Giessen Hochschule campus Our mainly cultural activities Klever That twice important Giessen elsewhere because University scientific faculties We cultural medical students veterinarians We courage attend concerts exhlbitions theatre culture doesn disappear their lives The discussion roups controversial writers painters Sartre Catholic Index Picasso Communist Previously Catholic students fended themselve Giessen Klever parish Technically every Catholic student member Giessen parish enrolls colleges Kleve acquires nificance remembers German students different universities every couple semesters Says Klever We their attempt their studies little general education Klever other concern matter duelling fraternities which popular Giessen They still honor question slightest insult Thglory blood honor That pagan We discourage Catholics Joln duelling fraternities Klever would fraternities their exclusiveness Through student contacts encourages inter ternity activities dances As secretary Klever gained amount notice Giessen In recent months fairly quick print Catholic faith under attack Last winter local Protestant minister quoted press saying Catholics payed latively little attention Bible before Reforma Klever replied lengthy defence Church issue When films questionable moral content reach local screen Klever words theatre manager If really objectionable Catholics records message effect broadcast before feature And Social Democratic speakers Klever usually Church properly represented The Socialists laughed I battles press I understanding But I drive I drive right there smashup Dekan Deuster almost conciliatory these matters The Caritashaus St Stephanus domain Bernhard Itzel handsome priest light brown piercing A native Zipfen Odenwald father tailor Itzel serve chaplain He called military because During Mass score villsges around Giessen sometimes railroad ststions sometimes basement laundrY In Itzel designated newCaritas organi zation Upper Hesse He began His first office railroad barracks Job attend thousands refugees pouring Giessen every month East Zone Starting scratch built overnight facilities railroad station found additional hotel hospital cellar gutted building By acquire permanent quarters buildin Frankfurterstrasse There inaugurated welfsre called St Stephanus It first house homeless East Zone It additional fcilities nursing establishme He staff district social workers recommend cases Upper Hesse Caritas supported subscription collections taken Catholic churches It administered through Mainz Diocese offices The welfare Catholic hospital about Protestant patients Itzel asked lunch Caritas We began Mass Very Algeria I asked whether thought doing other religious Never replied I couldn leave We dined ssusage potatoes cabbage Church country Itzel drives fetch foodstuffs Caritashaus The thing complain sbout multitude demands Jobs I divide myself pieces Another Caritas estsblishment Catholic Camp Service Emergency efugee Camp across lroad tracks It combination service recreation center chapel refugees stream through Giessen every month The Camp Service Just moved attractive building north month The building which inclUded chapel confessions constructed Caritas One young women share running Service attractive Dutch named Netty Ven A native Java Netty Holland family Five years Journeyed church West Germany visit refugee I I This blackhaired impressed Germsn refugees returning prisoners stayed camps Her Job mainly adviser perplexed East Zone refugees The people East liens II IIThey questioned exhaustively West German authorities They nervous We answer certain questions We bridge The Jesuit order commission Giessen since The brothers Diocese With growing school villagecongreation Church The local group headed Wilhelm Kohlen comes order East District Grmany They given their walking papersfrom Soviet Zone shortly after Father Superior Kohlen haded sleepy raspy voice native Neuss Rhineland H spent workin Berlin East Prussian Koenigsberg He bounced sround several Jails vading Russians managed West following The Society Jesus rough going Germany Originating counter Reformatlon group against flood Lutheranism Western Southern Germany during century This hearts Protestants One first victims Kuturkampf persecution Jesuit order which banned Germany Not until century allowed However climste Protestant Giessen after World War II friendly Jesuits experienced German resentment against their Besidestheir school instruction suburban parish Jesuits workshops Cstholic teachers lecture history religion Refugee Camp Catholic youth This summer Giessen parish cornerstone church north The Jesuits scheduled future Albertus Msgnus Churoh completed Father Kohlen about church other This We carrying counter Reformstion We ordinary problem One feeling confessionsare sharply divided before Admittedly Catholic Church monarchically ornized But democracy After Plus X letter carrier The church create individual conscience Men individual remember community Christianity seeks balsnce tween individuslity community Things going West Man anything possible This great danger In East Zone working service chimera future paradise With things going smoothly object East They erase This psychologically interesting dangerous The Pope spoke against nuclear weapons meant theoretically It would hateful enemy revolver I myself The synthesis reactions which I carry weeks Giessen Catholics includes these thoughts Both laymen clerics possessed intellimnce common sense articulateness And balance these appealing qualities reverence sweet mystery faith The Church driving commercialism parts American establishment absent And shoulder attitude Seven years Paul Blanshard published controversial critique Amerlcan Freedom Cstholic Power The underlying theme Blanshard study conflict between Catholic Catholic interpretstions freedom realms politics medicine education communications Last German Protestant theologian named Walther Loewenich published study church entitled Der Moderne Kstholizismus Modern Catholicism Luther Verla8 Witten Loewenich thesis Churc interpretations truth often interpretations Catholic world He great rapprochement confessions Una Sancta movement To Vatlcan current empha celebration Mary recent Marian miracles those would rapprochement As Giessen scene concerned perhaps German scene contemporary problem Church seems political Blanshard spiritual Loewenich The ordihary Catholic Germany lands perhaps rationalized Church relation modern state But Church itself No Catholic Germany going about Because changes direction Vatican Binder Received New York