Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 25. (1972) - Festschrift für Hanns Leo Mikoletzky

HOLLAENDER, Albert E. J.: Offiziere und Prälaten. Zur Fuldaer Bischofskonferenz, August 1945

Offiziere und Prälaten

199

Hildesheim,

Köln,

Limburg,

Mainz,

Münster,

München-Freising,

Osnabrück,

Paderborn,

Passau,

Regensburg,

Rottenburg,

Schneidemühl,

Speyer,

Trier,

Würzburg,

Bischof Mächens Erzbischof Frings Bischof Hilfrich Bischof Dr. Stohr Bischof von Galen Kardinal Faulhaber Bischof Berning Erzbischof Jäger Bischof Landersdorfer c)

Prälat Kohlmann representing Bischof Buchberger Bischof Sproll Prälat Dr. Hartz Bischof Wendel

Erzbischof Bornewasser bzw. Weihbischof Metzroth <') Bischof Ehrenfried

Archbishop Frings of Köln acted as President of the Conference.

Archbishop Cesare Orsenigo came from Eichstätt to meet the Bishops, but according to custom did not attend.

SITUATION: AUGUST 21st.

The opening ceremony of the conference, Invocation and Benediction, took place at 09.00 hrs., 21st August 1945, in the crypt of St. Boniface, Fulda Cathedral. In attendance were the twenty Bishops who had thus far arrived, Capt. Kenny, 218 Group CC, Lt. Finkelstein, Mil. Gov. Det. G 40 (Fulda), several members of the American Press, including Max A. Jordan, Correspondent, National Catholic Welfare Conference News Service, Washington D. C., and large numbers of the local Catholic community.

I arrived in the evening and was immediately confronted with the following awkward situation. The local Mil. Gov. Det. Commanding Officer, Major Charles F. Russe, was on very bad terms with the Bishop of Fulda and had recently sent a tactless and ill-conceived letter (see Appendix „A“). Partly in order to „punish“ the Bishop and partly because of the anti-Catholic sentiments which Major Russe frankly told me he felt, he had informed the Bishop that he proposed sending an officer to attend all sessions of the conference, together with newspaper reporters and photographers. He had selected Lt. Finkelstein, a non-Christian officer, for this purpose. When I questioned the wisdom as tactfully as I could as a guest in the American zone, I was told that matters must stand as there was a US regulation that any meeting of more than five persons must be attended by [a] Military Government representative.

I assured Major Russe that if he persisted in his intention, the Bishops would probably call off the conference, and I further pointed out that not even Monsignore Orsenigo, the Apostolic Nuncio, although present in Fulda, was allowed to attend the .conclave1 itself. Major Russe became worried and more so when I quoted British and American Draft Policy on Religious Affairs. As he still refused to take my advice, I called on Archbishop Frings of Cologne that evening and he confirmed the opinion I had expressed to Major Russe.

The conference, he said, would be cancelled if the secrecy was violated.

I returned to Mil. Gov. H. Q. with this information and found that Major

°) Landesdorfer L. — d) Metzrod L.