Image above: Parish Church St. Menas in Koblenz-Stolzenfels of Fr Matthias Laros, Leader of Una Sancta
THE UNA SANCTA MOVEMENT AFTER THE DEATH OF METZGER
After the great turbulence of the Second World War, the late 1940’s was a time for picking up the shattered remains of post war Germany. Huge displacement of German refugees particularly from the East meant great demographic changes in areas that had previously remained nearly all Protestant or all Catholic since the time of the Reformation.
DISPLACEMENT OF POPULATIONS
As Swidler relates ‘the purely Catholic communities in Bavaria in 1910 numbered over 2300; after the
Second World war this sank to 9. Where in 1910 there were 244 purely Protestant communities today
[Swidler wrote in 1966] there are none.’ 1 Every area of Germany was required to take a quota of
displaced persons without regard to their religious denomination.
The displacement of populations together with common wartime experiences in such places as
concentration camps, prisoner of war camps and refugee centers created a soil where possible religious
reconciliation between the different Christian Churches also could take place. In these circumstances
both Catholic and Protestant Churches lent buildings to each other for services, something that would
have been unthinkable previously – a practice that continues even today in the joint use of church
buildings.
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GROWTH OF UNA SANCTA TO A PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT
This period gave birth to an unprecedented growth of Una Sancta, which during the war had effectively
been purely an underground movement, and very much subject to Gestapo surveillance. Martyrdom of
Christian leaders, such as with the execution of Metzger, created a new ‘seedbed for the church’.
Matthias Laros, who was asked to take over the leadership of Una Sancta at Meitingen, wrote that ,
while the Brotherhood had worked previously in an isolated and less organized fashion, ‘there had
arisen now in the broad masses of people … an elemental will toward a final … fruitful elimination of the
division of faith’. 2 The Una Sancta Brotherhood Metzger had created survived the war, and over the
period from 1945 to 1950 grew to where it was estimated there were up to 10,000 active participants in
the Movement. 3 Groups varied in size from 10 members to some numbering over 200; Berlin itself had
several Una Sancta Circles. When an Una Sancta evening was announced in Berlin, with speeches being
given by alternatively Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox and Baptist speakers, the church which had a
capacity of 2,500, was ‘filled to overflowing half an hour ahead of time’. 4 Similar meetings attracting
hundreds of people were held in Frankfurt and Munich. In the northern town of Eberswald over a
thousand crammed into the largest venue available for talks by Protestant, Catholic and Free Church
speakers. Ecumenical weeks’ were organized where lectures were given by Protestant and Catholic
theologians. These were especially popular throughout the Rhineland where priests and pastors
presented to each other courses of their own theologies on such challenging subjects as Papal
Infallibility and the Augsburg Confession.
GROWTH OF UNA SANCTA TO A PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT
This period gave birth to an unprecedented growth of Una Sancta, which during the war had effectively
been purely an underground movement, and very much subject to Gestapo surveillance. Martyrdom of
Christian leaders, such as with the execution of Metzger, created a new ‘seedbed for the church’.
Matthias Laros, who was asked to take over the leadership of Una Sancta at Meitingen, wrote that ,
while the Brotherhood had worked previously in an isolated and less organized fashion, ‘there had
arisen now in the broad masses of people … an elemental will toward a final … fruitful elimination of the
division of faith’. 2 The Una Sancta Brotherhood Metzger had created survived the war, and over the
period from 1945 to 1950 grew to where it was estimated there were up to 10,000 active participants in
the Movement. 3 Groups varied in size from 10 members to some numbering over 200; Berlin itself had
several Una Sancta Circles. When an Una Sancta evening was announced in Berlin, with speeches being
given by alternatively Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox and Baptist speakers, the church which had a
capacity of 2,500, was ‘filled to overflowing half an hour ahead of time’. 4 Similar meetings attracting
hundreds of people were held in Frankfurt and Munich. In the northern town of Eberswald over a
thousand crammed into the largest venue available for talks by Protestant, Catholic and Free Church
speakers. Ecumenical weeks’ were organized where lectures were given by Protestant and Catholic
theologians. These were especially popular throughout the Rhineland where priests and pastors
presented to each other courses of their own theologies on such challenging subjects as Papal
Infallibility and the Augsburg Confession.
KARL ADAM ON THE REASSESSMENT OF LUTHER
In Stuttgart, the famed Catholic theologian and University Professor Karl Adam gave a series of lectures on “Una Sancta from the Catholic Viewpoint’ over three nights from April 27-29 1947 to overflowing crowds at the Lutheran Markuskirche. Sensing the zeitgeist of the post war period he deduced ‘ it cannot be doubted that at the present moment, under the shattering impact of two world wars, at least in the sense that the unreality of mere polemic is being abandoned, that Luther on the one hand and the papacy on the other are being seen in a clearer and more friendly light, and that real efforts are being
made , by Christians everywhere, to being about if not a unio fidei [union of faith] at least a unio
caritatis [union of heart]’. 5 Adam then proceeded to describe Luther, not in the former way as an arch
heretic, fallen monk or even psychotic, but rather a man of great brilliance and a sharp incisive mind,
who was horrified by sham holiness.
To Adam, if Luther had brought these gifts to the service of the church and remained a faithful Catholic,
‘he would be forever our Great Reformer, our True Man of God, our teacher and leader, comparable to
Thomas Aquinas and Francis of Assisi. He would have been the greatest saint of our people, the re-
founder of the Church in Germany, a second Boniface’. 6 The lectures were repeated later in Karlsruhe
and later published both in German and English. When the book was later published with the title 'Una Sancta in Katholischer Sicht, he dedicated the book to the memory of Fr Max Josef Metzger. 7
‘he would be forever our Great Reformer, our True Man of God, our teacher and leader, comparable to
Thomas Aquinas and Francis of Assisi. He would have been the greatest saint of our people, the re-
founder of the Church in Germany, a second Boniface’. 6 The lectures were repeated later in Karlsruhe
and later published both in German and English. When the book was later published with the title 'Una Sancta in Katholischer Sicht, he dedicated the book to the memory of Fr Max Josef Metzger. 7
GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF UNA SANCTA
One particular meeting in the Benedictine Abbey of Niederaltaich helped to bring the whole movement
into a clear focus.
At a joint Catholic Protestant retreat held in August 1946 the participants came up with three defining
principles for Una Sancta work:
Neresheim with many important Christian leaders attending, including Hans Asmussen, President of the
Chancery of the Evangelical Church in Germany and a member of Die Sammlung together with Catholic
University Professors from Tubigen University. At this two lectures were given by a Catholic and a
Protestant in memory of Max Metzger, ‘founder and blood martyr of the Una Sancta Movement’. 9
into a clear focus.
At a joint Catholic Protestant retreat held in August 1946 the participants came up with three defining
principles for Una Sancta work:
- In the effort toward mutual understanding there must be preparedness to learn from one another to practice Christian love.
- In the striving towards Christian truth it is necessary that the divisive points be clearly seen . A union must not result at the expense of truth.
- The actual Union is the Work of God. God however works in history. Great historical events, great common needs can become in the hands of God decisive means of his grace when the hour is ripe. We can and must already now prepare ourselves for such a working of God’s grace by taking the first two steps and by a sincere prayer for unity. 8
Neresheim with many important Christian leaders attending, including Hans Asmussen, President of the
Chancery of the Evangelical Church in Germany and a member of Die Sammlung together with Catholic
University Professors from Tubigen University. At this two lectures were given by a Catholic and a
Protestant in memory of Max Metzger, ‘founder and blood martyr of the Una Sancta Movement’. 9
YOUTH GATHERINGS AND PUBLICATIONS
While many renowned Churchmen and theologians from different confessions continued the intense sharing that Una Sancta involved, much larger gatherings were held for youth. On October 27 1946 between three and four thousand students gathered for an ecumenical celebration at the Berlin Olympic Stadium as a public demonstration for all baptized youth.
A similar demonstration took place by several thousand students at Cologne University. 10
From some quiet almost clandestine meetings in World War Germany, after the war Una Sancta grew into a national movement, with a wide variety of gatherings, meetings, conferences, lectures and demonstrations for Christian Unity. According to Laros, who became the official leader of Una Sancta at the invitation of Sister Gertrudis after the death of Metzger, it was now a ‘people’s movement’. It had developed into publishing where a wide variety of publishing houses now spread the word across Germany. Una Sancta headquarters themselves in Meitingen produced their own Rundbrief. It was estimated that over 50,000 copies of this Circular were distributed nationwide sharing their ecumenical vision and latest developments.
From some quiet almost clandestine meetings in World War Germany, after the war Una Sancta grew into a national movement, with a wide variety of gatherings, meetings, conferences, lectures and demonstrations for Christian Unity. According to Laros, who became the official leader of Una Sancta at the invitation of Sister Gertrudis after the death of Metzger, it was now a ‘people’s movement’. It had developed into publishing where a wide variety of publishing houses now spread the word across Germany. Una Sancta headquarters themselves in Meitingen produced their own Rundbrief. It was estimated that over 50,000 copies of this Circular were distributed nationwide sharing their ecumenical vision and latest developments.
VISIBILITY OF UNA SANCTA AND KONRAD ADENAUER
Swidler comments that anyone who was ‘au fait’ of religious activities in post war Germany would have
been aware of the work of the Una Sancta Movement. 11 It had gained the highest level of support from leaders of the Church of all confessions, the German Catholic Bishops Council and even the listening ear of the Vatican. One person who was ‘au fait’ with the very visible effects of ‘Una Sancta’ was the committed Catholic politician from Cologne, the soon to become leader of the new Christian Democrat Union Party (CDU) and first Chancellor of post-war Germany, and visionary of the future European Union, Konrad Adenauer. 12
been aware of the work of the Una Sancta Movement. 11 It had gained the highest level of support from leaders of the Church of all confessions, the German Catholic Bishops Council and even the listening ear of the Vatican. One person who was ‘au fait’ with the very visible effects of ‘Una Sancta’ was the committed Catholic politician from Cologne, the soon to become leader of the new Christian Democrat Union Party (CDU) and first Chancellor of post-war Germany, and visionary of the future European Union, Konrad Adenauer. 12
In the authorized biography of Adenauer, Paul Weymar describes the pioneering politician seeking to
ensure the base of the new party did not have confessional splits or schisms between different Catholic
or Lutheran members. Weymar writes of Adenauer insistence, often after acrimonious debate, on a
strict parity and equality between the confessions. As he drove across Germany Adenauer would often
write in his notes such comments as ‘ 13 good cooperation between the confessions, Una Sancta
atmosphere’ (authors italics) – or else ‘ tension must be eliminated , X too aristocratic’.
Una Sancta, however, was not a political movement. According to Swidler, apart from an of the mixing
of politics and religions, there was no treatment of political issues in any of its early literature.
Metzger always sought to clarify to the Nazi authorities that his movement was not political;
however, in seeking to draw together the two historical streams of German Catholicism and
Lutheranism, he was in fact preparing for a growing river, if not a flood, which would spread
across all of Germany. In the post war years it would inspire, if not invade, both the realm of
social and political. Adenauer was friends with Una Sancta leaders such as Robert Grosche
(1888-1967) who was the Dean of Cologne. They had extensive talks about the future of the City
and Society and Grosche supported the aims of Adenauer to found the CDU without himself
actually joining it. 14
ensure the base of the new party did not have confessional splits or schisms between different Catholic
or Lutheran members. Weymar writes of Adenauer insistence, often after acrimonious debate, on a
strict parity and equality between the confessions. As he drove across Germany Adenauer would often
write in his notes such comments as ‘ 13 good cooperation between the confessions, Una Sancta
atmosphere’ (authors italics) – or else ‘ tension must be eliminated , X too aristocratic’.
Una Sancta, however, was not a political movement. According to Swidler, apart from an of the mixing
of politics and religions, there was no treatment of political issues in any of its early literature.
Metzger always sought to clarify to the Nazi authorities that his movement was not political;
however, in seeking to draw together the two historical streams of German Catholicism and
Lutheranism, he was in fact preparing for a growing river, if not a flood, which would spread
across all of Germany. In the post war years it would inspire, if not invade, both the realm of
social and political. Adenauer was friends with Una Sancta leaders such as Robert Grosche
(1888-1967) who was the Dean of Cologne. They had extensive talks about the future of the City
and Society and Grosche supported the aims of Adenauer to found the CDU without himself
actually joining it. 14
Another life long colleague of Adenauer was the Jesuit Max Pribilla whose experiences in World War 1 inspired him in his ecumenical vision, leading him to a leadership position within Una Sancta. Adenauer was in contact other Una Sancta leaders including New Testament scholar, Fr Otto Karren. The Leader of Una Sancta after the death of Metzger, Matthias Laros, kept up a regular correspondence with the Chancellor. In March 1951 he sent a copy of his latest book, “The Word of the Lord for this time’ („Die Botschaft des Herrn an diese Zeit“) with a note saying he would be preaching on the message of ‘One Shepherd, one Flock’.
Later in January 1952, Laros wrote again to the Chancellor, congratulating him on the ratification of the Schumann Plan for the integration of the French and German Iron and Steel industries. This development would make the outbreak of war between these two traditional enemies practically impossible. Laros told him of the ‘deep sympathy in Catholic Circles’ for this work and to share that he had a ‘host of people praying for him’. |
Adenauer replied to Laros saying 'I have read with great joy that large groups of the Catholic population of our homeland share intimately in my work with their prayers. May the Lord God bless our work.' Adenauer had a regular correspondance with many Una Sancta leaders over the time of his Chancellorship. To Asmussen, the colleague of Metzger from Berlin's Una Sancta Circle and head of the Lutheran Church after the war, Adenauer wrote to commemorate his "beneficial work as a pastor" and his "resolute and sympathetic commitment to the idea of cooperation among all Christians in our country". Asmussen had also at this time become a member of the CDU. 15
the growth of christian democracy : stegerwald to the cdu
Adam Stegerwald (1874-1945) was regarded by many as the founding father (Unionsgedanke) of the movement for Christian democracy in Germany. He served in many roles as Prussian Prime minister, Christian Trade Unionist and leader of the left wing of the Center Party. At a meeting of the Congress of Christian Trade Unions in Essen in November 1920 he had pointed out the difficulty in a lack of confessional harmony in the politics of Germany:
‘What is needed is a Union of constructive forces in both the Catholic and the Protestant camps…a strong Christian national people’s party, which Protestants cannot create by themselves because they lack the necessary unity and Catholics also are too weak to organize themselves' .16 |
The end of the war in 1945 provided the first real opportunity for such a political movement to be realized. There existed no party capable of bringing the two confessional sides together. The old Center Party in the eyes of Protestants was looked at as purely Catholic Party who indeed formed a minority of the German electorate in the Weimar Era. On the other hand the Protestant Church was after the war no longer associated with the Hohenzollern monarchy and now sought to be free from the terrible legacy of the German Christians of the Hitler era. The cry was coming from many quarters across Germany for a party that crossed confessional lines.
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the founding of the cdu bad godesberg december 1945
In the months immediately after the end of the World War, a wide variety of Christian Political groups had developed across Germany, such as the Christian Democratic Party in Frankfurt and the Christian Democratic Reconstruction Party in Schleswig- Holstein. These groups finally coalesced after a nationwide conference of Christian Democrats held in Bad Godesberg in December of 1945 , adopting formerly fro the first time the name Christian Democratic Union. By January 1946 Konrad Adenauer had become one of its leaders. The CDU were all adamantly anti-Nazi:
'National Socialism has plunged Germany into a Catastrophe which is without parallel in her long history. It has covered the German name in the eyes of the whole world with shame and humiliation. All this would not have overwhelmed us if wide circles of our nation had not let themselves be governed by an avaricious materialism. In this way far too many fell victim to National Socialist demagogy which promised each German a paradise on earth.’ 17
'National Socialism has plunged Germany into a Catastrophe which is without parallel in her long history. It has covered the German name in the eyes of the whole world with shame and humiliation. All this would not have overwhelmed us if wide circles of our nation had not let themselves be governed by an avaricious materialism. In this way far too many fell victim to National Socialist demagogy which promised each German a paradise on earth.’ 17
They all believed in Christian principles as the basis for Political life…
‘ The Christian outlook on life must again replace the materialistic outlook, and instead of the principles resulting from materialism must come the principles of Christian ethics. (op. cit p. 178-9)
To do this they felt the need to create a confessional bridge and to break out of previous confessional ghettos in order to bridge divisions in German society and to build a joint vision of a free Federal State based on principles of social justice.
‘ The Christian outlook on life must again replace the materialistic outlook, and instead of the principles resulting from materialism must come the principles of Christian ethics. (op. cit p. 178-9)
To do this they felt the need to create a confessional bridge and to break out of previous confessional ghettos in order to bridge divisions in German society and to build a joint vision of a free Federal State based on principles of social justice.
the cdu meeting in berlin 1946 to honor fr max metzger
On April 10 1946 - just four months after the CDU had been established, a leader of the CDU in Berlin wrote to Sister Judith Maria, Head of Fr Max Metzger’s Christ the King Institute at Piusstift, Berlin. She had been visiting Max during his final months in prison and was later responsible for Fr Max’s reburial in St Hedwig’s Cemetery in Berlin. She was responsible Una Sancta work in Berlin. He wanted to tell her about a special meeting the new CDU were holding in Berlin with the aim of 'crossing the denominational divide'.
They had asked Lutheran Pastor Walter Dreß of St Annen Kirche in Dalhem Berlin - a Center of the Confessing Church that had opposed Hitler - to give the address. He was a Professor of History at the Humboldt University and was brother in law to Dietrich Bonhoeffer who had also, like Max Metzger, been executed for his stand by the regime. Dr Dreß wished to celebrate the life, testimony and martyrdom of Fr Max and the CDU wished for Sister Judith and Una Sancta to be represented and to bring materials to the talk.
The locations for the talks were the St Joseph Catholic Church Weißensee in Müllerstraße and the nearby cinema called the Mercedes Palast, at Utrechter Strasse in Berlin. The date was close to the second anniversary of Dr Max Metzger’s death and happened to occur on Good Friday, April 19, 1946. The church authorities had agreed to move their services to earlier times so all their congregations could attend both meetings. The desire of the CDU to break the confessional ghettos was not without a struggle, but all agreed to work together to celebrate the life and martyrdom of Fr Max, whose whole life had been a mission to bring Catholics and Lutherans together.
the address of pastor walter dress
'One year ago, when the anniversary of Dr. Metzger's death was the first year, we had to be silent. Now we may and want to commemorate [his death] publicly. We know and testify that He was one of the noblest and most vocal champions of peace among peoples, of the freedom and dignity of man, of the right of the Spirit and the faith of Christendom. In the conflict two years ago, on April 17, 1944, he was offered by the Bloody Court as a sacrifice. If I am allowed to speak at this hour and at this event to express what moves us all in the memory of him, then at first I must express my gratitude for God's having me meet him … a man whose winning friendliness grew out of the goodness of a heart conquered by Christ, and who at the same time grew so strong through his faith that no world power could divert him from the path which his prophetic conscience allowed him to take.
The experiences he had had to make as a Division Chaplain in the war that broke out in 1914 taught him to detest and hate the war. He was always an active person and had to turn his findings into action: [In prison, he has occasionally found this being more difficult to cope with than the imprisonment itself] Immediately he set to work to create a peace movement and sought to promote the reconciliation of peoples. It was in line with these thoughts, insights, and far-sighted plans that later the reconciliation of the Christian denominations became the very purpose of his heart, the very meaning of his life and work, and the aim of his hopes and prayers.
In this he found a special vocation. And so, this richly gifted man, to whom poetry and music with inner conviction became expressions of his experiences, used all his powers and abilities to do justice to this commission. Without ceasing, he pointed to the sins that had led to the schism [ of the churches], with which we were now accustomed to consider as normal in the wake of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. Here he was and remained relentless but it was a Christian, a brotherly relentlessness, the relentlessness of love, in which he [ challenged these] denominational traditions. The division of Christendom into various denominations and churches cannot be … indifferent to love and faith. When we solemnly confess the Una Sancta, which confess a holy church, in worship in all earnest and joyful confidence ... when we know that Christ in the high priestly prayer has made the petition "that they are all one" then we cannot simply accept the brokenness of Christians as something given, but, obeying the divine will, we must do what we can do to find each other again through misunderstandings and contradictions, and it soon becomes evident that we have very much to do indeed, and that, if we are of good will and did what we want to do, very much would be done.
'Based on such insights, Dr. Metzger started the Brotherhood ‘Una Sancta’. It was not intended to be a new organization alongside other organizations, but to emphasize the fact that the Lord Himself calls all who confess Him their Master and who regard the division of Christendom as a problem and a challenge, should be encouraged to persevere in the prayer for the realization of unity and to cultivate a fraternal encounter with the Christians of the other denominations.
The call Dr. Metzger made found a wide echo. He soon succeeded in bringing together in many places consortiums of Christians from different churches and communities, who received his thoughts, led to responsible debates and clarified a number of contentious issues. The work, which has begun so auspiciously, which was then greatly hampered in the last months of the war and finally, like so many other things, was interrupted, [but] has since been resumed. Because we have in recent years learned a lot as Germans and as Christians – we know it must [now] be continued. Dr. Metzger has left us a legacy of particular importance; which we must not let forget... At the time of his death, the Dr Metzger could not yet have understood how his immense suffering at the time could inspire us [in the future] to be fruitful as a people, and as Christians'.
The call Dr. Metzger made found a wide echo. He soon succeeded in bringing together in many places consortiums of Christians from different churches and communities, who received his thoughts, led to responsible debates and clarified a number of contentious issues. The work, which has begun so auspiciously, which was then greatly hampered in the last months of the war and finally, like so many other things, was interrupted, [but] has since been resumed. Because we have in recent years learned a lot as Germans and as Christians – we know it must [now] be continued. Dr. Metzger has left us a legacy of particular importance; which we must not let forget... At the time of his death, the Dr Metzger could not yet have understood how his immense suffering at the time could inspire us [in the future] to be fruitful as a people, and as Christians'.
reaction to meeting at mercedes palast and st josephs parish berlin
What were the effects of the meeting ? It might be hard to assess, but as soon as the meeting was concluded, the same day the CDU Berlin-Wedding Representative wrote again to Sister Judith, thanking her and the St Pius Stift Convent for their contribution and participation as well as for the events themselves. The writer noted that the commemoration was held in a very dignified manner which had left a ‘deep impression’ on all those who attended at both the Parish Hall of St Joseph and later at the Mercedes Palast’. They noted that the event was well received by the authorities and with wider circles. The CDU representative suggested, given the outstanding personality of Dr Metzger, that there could be another such event which would emphasize more Fr Max’s creativity. They felt they owed it to this great priest who had achieved such far-sighted work through Una Sancta Circles.
What is remarkable is that these two rallies in the German Capital were not organized by the Una Sancta Brotherhood, but by a new political party which had only been established three months previously, the Christian Democratic Union!
What is remarkable is that these two rallies in the German Capital were not organized by the Una Sancta Brotherhood, but by a new political party which had only been established three months previously, the Christian Democratic Union!
the achievement of una sancta and the cdu/csu
What were the long term results between this important meeting between the CDU and Una Sancta?
Una Sancta had never intended to be a political movement. Fr Max was at pains to declare this in the early days and to protect the nascent ecumenism he was seeking to foster from suspicion by the Gestapo. After the Berlin meeting there is no record of the movement and the new party coalescing; one was for creating ecumenical bridges of faith and practice – the other sought to reshape the politics and society of post war Germany, nonetheless they had always much in common. There is no record of a follow up meeting as suggested by the CDU leaders, however both the movement and Christian democracy developed throughout the 1940’s to the present day.
Both the CDU/CSU and Una Sancta has vast mountains to climb. The CDU had no national structure or central administration, with no elected chairman or executive organ or national party headquarters; it had no press and no organizational infrastructure during a time of great national deprivation and scarcity. Una Sancta was largely a grassroots movement running on meager resources and a sense of faith hope and idealism. Both the CDU/CSU and Una Sancta had to rely on individual inspired leaders who would take up the causes they had for themselves, and both felt a sense of urgency in the wake of the Third Reich to present new hope and meaning and vision for a country recovering from the embers of war. Both sought to defy national trends in German political opinion, seeking to unshackle the roots of distrust that had existed between Catholics and Protestants in Germany since the time of the Reformation. Both essentially were movements and not organizations, working on parallel lines occasionally overlapping. The success of the CDU/CSU was that by the time there were the first regional elections in Germany after the war in 1946, it had become the main German conservative party. In the State election of 1949 it became the strongest group in the parliament, gaining a total of 139 out of 402 seats, while the rival SPD gained 131 seats. This also gave to CDU its first post war Chancellor in Konrad Adenauer who was elected on 15 September 1949. It had achieved this success with a bare minimum of organization, but with marked support from the Churches. It is then interesting to note that in 1954 the CDU decided to have a Commemoration Ceremony in Berlin, now having been in power for over 4 years as the Government of Post War Germany. The program which took place on Good Friday 1954 was at the Konzertsaale in Gesundbrunnen in Berlin was dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the execution of Fr Max Josef Metzger. The program included music from Bach, Haydn and Palestrina sung by the St Rita Choir, together with readings taken from Max's own Gefangenenbrief - his Prison Letters. There can be no doubt that Fr Max was a tremendous inspiration to the work and political achievement of the CDU in that time.
Una Sancta went through various phases until its work was recognized in the Vatican with the foundation of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the first agreement between Catholics and Lutherans since the Reformation in the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. This historic document was signed by representative of both churches in Augsburg in 1999. It is hard to see how either of these events might have happened without the driving zeal and pioneering work of Fr Max Joseph Metzger and his Una Sancta brotherhood
The Rev. Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, embraces Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, president of the Lutheran World Federation, front center, during an ecumenical prayer service at the Lutheran cathedral in Lund, Sweden. At right, Pope Francis embraces Archbishop Antje Jackelen, primate of the Lutheran Church in Sweden. At left is Bishop Anders Arborelius of Stockholm and Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
the legacy of fr max josef metzger
In concluding his thoughts at the Mercedes Palast in the April 1946 meeting Dr Dreß challenged to those in attendance to follow Fr Max’s example:
Dr. Metzger himself was a man who lived in and out of prayer. That was the secret of his personality. And he was a praying man, praying to God's will because he was at home in the scriptures. He himself points out in one of his writings the Biblical joy "in the Catholic Church." The letters he wrote in the Prison prove on every page, almost one might say, in every sentence how the Bible became the most personal possession. …"He took from God's hand what God offered him abundantly. and was therefore able to give away and comfort, strengthen and raise many those [who were with him] in prison
‘Metzger worked and fought as a German Christian friend of peace during the war: he was daring, completely ready to commit his whole person for the thing he knew as right and true, bravely and without any evasion even in front of the court [which sentenced him } a court which was nothing but a diabolical farce; what can we do in this hour of remembrance, as we pledge, that we will strive to emulate his example and inherit his inheritance?
What was true in his own life, was the belief and knowledge in the promise of the Holy Scripture:
If this mortal will put on the incorruption and this mortal will put on the immortality, then it will be fulfilled become the Word that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? Hell, where is your victory? ! Thank God, who gave us the victory through ours
Lord Jesus Christ,
Dr. Metzger himself was a man who lived in and out of prayer. That was the secret of his personality. And he was a praying man, praying to God's will because he was at home in the scriptures. He himself points out in one of his writings the Biblical joy "in the Catholic Church." The letters he wrote in the Prison prove on every page, almost one might say, in every sentence how the Bible became the most personal possession. …"He took from God's hand what God offered him abundantly. and was therefore able to give away and comfort, strengthen and raise many those [who were with him] in prison
‘Metzger worked and fought as a German Christian friend of peace during the war: he was daring, completely ready to commit his whole person for the thing he knew as right and true, bravely and without any evasion even in front of the court [which sentenced him } a court which was nothing but a diabolical farce; what can we do in this hour of remembrance, as we pledge, that we will strive to emulate his example and inherit his inheritance?
What was true in his own life, was the belief and knowledge in the promise of the Holy Scripture:
If this mortal will put on the incorruption and this mortal will put on the immortality, then it will be fulfilled become the Word that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? Hell, where is your victory? ! Thank God, who gave us the victory through ours
Lord Jesus Christ,
Cited:
1 Swidler, Leonard The Ecumenical Vanguard Duquesne University Press 1966 p.168
2 Laros Matthias, Una Sancta -Einigung 1 Rundbrief September 1946 quoted in Swidler p.171
3 Edward Grüber , ‘Im Zeichen’ 215 op. Cit Swidler. P.175
4 Op. Cit .p.176
5 Adam Karl Roots of the Reformation ( One and Holy) Reprint Coming Home Steubenville Ohio 2000 p. 7
6 Adam, Karl Una Sancta, One and Holy p. 26
7 Karl Adam Una Sancta in katholischer Sicht (Dusseldorf 1947), ‘One and Holy’ (New York 1951)
8 Op. Cit p. 120
9 Op. Cit p. 181.
10 Op. Cit p.186
11 Op. Cit p. 198
12 Adenauer Konrad Memoiras 1945-53 Regnery Chicago 1965 p.244
13 Weymar, Paul, Adenauer His authorized biography. Duttons NY 1957 p.172
14 http://www.rheinische-geschichte.lvr.de/Persoenlichkeiten/robert-grosche/DE-
2086/lido/57c6d803506a94.74616954
15 Information given by Archive Section of Adenauer Haus, Rhondorf Bad Honnef 6/13/2019 and Wikipedia article on Asmussen
16 Quoted in Arnold Heidenheimer, Adenauer and the CDU, (1960) p. 7 referenced in Geoffrey Pridham Christian Democracy in Western Germany NY (1977) p.26
17 Op cit Pridham quoting Leo Schwering Fruhgeschichte der Christlich Demokratischen Union (193) p. 215 .
18 Leonard Swidler Bloodwitness for Peace and Unity Ecumenical Press Philadelphia 1977 uhgeschichte der Christlich Demokratischen Union (1963) p.215 p.120
19. Pridham, Geoffrey Christian Democracy in Western Germany St Martin’s press 1977 p.22
18 op
Photo of Fr Matthias Laros Courtesy of Gertraud Rossman
Christ the King Institute Archives Meitingen
Cited:
1 Swidler, Leonard The Ecumenical Vanguard Duquesne University Press 1966 p.168
2 Laros Matthias, Una Sancta -Einigung 1 Rundbrief September 1946 quoted in Swidler p.171
3 Edward Grüber , ‘Im Zeichen’ 215 op. Cit Swidler. P.175
4 Op. Cit .p.176
5 Adam Karl Roots of the Reformation ( One and Holy) Reprint Coming Home Steubenville Ohio 2000 p. 7
6 Adam, Karl Una Sancta, One and Holy p. 26
7 Karl Adam Una Sancta in katholischer Sicht (Dusseldorf 1947), ‘One and Holy’ (New York 1951)
8 Op. Cit p. 120
9 Op. Cit p. 181.
10 Op. Cit p.186
11 Op. Cit p. 198
12 Adenauer Konrad Memoiras 1945-53 Regnery Chicago 1965 p.244
13 Weymar, Paul, Adenauer His authorized biography. Duttons NY 1957 p.172
14 http://www.rheinische-geschichte.lvr.de/Persoenlichkeiten/robert-grosche/DE-
2086/lido/57c6d803506a94.74616954
15 Information given by Archive Section of Adenauer Haus, Rhondorf Bad Honnef 6/13/2019 and Wikipedia article on Asmussen
16 Quoted in Arnold Heidenheimer, Adenauer and the CDU, (1960) p. 7 referenced in Geoffrey Pridham Christian Democracy in Western Germany NY (1977) p.26
17 Op cit Pridham quoting Leo Schwering Fruhgeschichte der Christlich Demokratischen Union (193) p. 215 .
18 Leonard Swidler Bloodwitness for Peace and Unity Ecumenical Press Philadelphia 1977 uhgeschichte der Christlich Demokratischen Union (1963) p.215 p.120
19. Pridham, Geoffrey Christian Democracy in Western Germany St Martin’s press 1977 p.22
18 op
Photo of Fr Matthias Laros Courtesy of Gertraud Rossman
Christ the King Institute Archives Meitingen