The Cardinal Page #10

And my unofficial function?

It will be an educational one.

Instructing a prince of the Church

in the realities of the modern world.

The first thing we noticed

on the screen, Your Eminence...

was that all the church bells

rang as Hitler entered Vienna.

You think they asked me for permission?

It's a standard courtesy

to distinguished visitors.

We are great bell-ringers here.

But this visitor...

Dr. Seyss-lnquart ordered it

as a friendly gesture.

He was Interim Chancellor

and is now Hitler's High Commissioner.

A very devout Catholic. A war hero.

- Some tea?

- Thank you.

You understand

I'm not speaking for myself...

- but for the Holy See.

- Naturally.

Drop of rum in it?

- I don't think I'd...

- Just a taste.

- Sugar?

- Nothing, thank you.

What disturbed the Vatican most...

was the declaration urging

people to vote "Yes" in the plebiscite.

I understand.

You mustn't leave here

without tasting this strudel.

I ordered it for you because I know...

that you Americans

are mostly interested in strudel...

when you come to Vienna.

My only concern, of course,

was the Church.

I've nothing to do with politics.

- That statement was non-political?

- Quite so.

On a vote whether Austria

should become part of Germany?

Austria is part of Germany.

Hitler announced it.

The plebiscite is a mere formality.

A formality that Hitler himself

seems to consider very important.

Precisely. Hitler wants Austria.

A great many Austrians want Hitler.

If the Church presides at the marriage,

we'll get better treatment than if it didn't.

But you're doing more than presiding.

You've come out in favor of the union.

Rome feels the Church

will be stronger in the long run...

if we take a more critical stand

toward National Socialism...

than you have taken so far.

Does Rome have any idea

how Hitler responds to criticism?

Would you like to see Catholic men

and women scrubbing the sidewalks...

like so many Jews?

There are principles

we cannot compromise.

The rights of the Church over family life,

education of our youth.

Your Excellency, what do you think

I'm doing here?

Protecting those very rights.

I have been given personal assurances

from the very highest sources.

We have to remember

what happened in Germany.

Austria is a different matter.

Don't forget this is a Catholic country.

It's the country where

he himself was born and baptized.

- Nevertheless, the Vatican feels...

- You see, Fermoyle...

I know the people who've taken over here.

You'll meet some

at Dr. Seyss-lnquart's reception tonight.

We have a civilized tradition in Austria

that the Germans don't have.

Then why are people here so anxious

to be annexed by them?

Because our blood is German.

It's hard for a non-German to understand.

Hardest of all for an American.

Why do you say that?

You are used to so much mixture.

The joining together

of all German people is...

what we have been dreaming of

for 1,000 years.

The Germans and we are different

in many ways, yes.

But our blood is the same.

I agree with Your Eminence

that it's a hard concept to understand.

Then why waste our time trying?

Why don't you tell me, in brief,

what it is the Holy Father expects of me?

First, he would like you to make it clear...

that your recommendation to vote "Yes"

was purely personal...

not binding on Catholics

as a matter of conscience.

And once that is done, to issue

no further statements on the plebiscite.

Very simple instructions to obey.

I have no desire

to make election statements.

I'm not a politician.

Your Eminence, Theodor Cardinal Innitzer

and your Excellency, Bishop Fermoyle.

General Albrecht Kraus. Bishop Fermoyle.

Frau Walter, may I introduce you

to Bishop Fermoyle?

Frau Clara Walter. Dr. Seyss-lnquart.

Your Eminence.

This is His Excellency Bishop Fermoyle.

An American who works in the Vatican.

I am honored.

I do hope you tell His Holiness

how we esteem His Eminence here.

I spoke today on the telephone

with the Fhrer.

And he said:

"All Austria must be at your command,

my dear Seyss-lnquart...

"except Cardinal Innitzer."

He said, "Remember,

your authority you have from me...

"his is from God."

Herr Kurt von Hartman

and Frau Annemarie von Hartman.

- Heil Hitler.

- Heil Hitler.

I finally did make my trip to America.

Kurt went on business two years ago

and took me along.

But we never saw Boston.

I'm afraid most people don't.

How did you like what you did see?

Very much. Most of it.

There were things our people should have

here to bring them into modern times.

Now, I think we will begin to get them.

Because of Hitler?

Annemarie finds merits in Mr. Hitler...

not apparent to more detached observers.

But you don't agree?

As a banker,

I have to know some economics...

You have to go up about 1,500 meters

to get good snow this late.

The Zugspitze.

St. Christopher above Adelberg...

This is getting to be

a persecution complex.

Not to speak in front of Reinhard,

who's been with us 12 years.

I believe the best rule

is to make no exceptions.

The great danger about the Nazis,

I believe...

is they must keep expanding or collapse.

Sooner or later this means war.

He says peace is

the great dream of his life.

While he builds tanks and planes

and surrounds himself with gangsters.

Some of them are crude, I know.

But I think we need their strength.

Now we have become part

of a great, powerful country.

- Who could it be?

- I don't know.

Excuse me.

Gestapo!

Excuse me.

Kurt!

Do you know why he did it?

His grandmother

on his father's side was Jewish.

The Nazis knew.

Apparently, he was

half out of his mind with fear.

He couldn't decide whether

to get out of the country or what.

He discussed all this with his lawyer,

but he never told me.

- How would you have reacted?

- I'm not sure.

Perhaps he wasn't either.

It wasn't fair of him not to tell me.

How could I help him if I didn't know?

He must have been desperate.

You don't think what he did

was right, do you?

Nothing ever can justify suicide.

But some cases are easier to understand.

The mental condition of people who feel

persecuted becomes distorted...

and nothing they do is understandable

to the normal mind.

Your Eminence.

Forgive me for breaking in on you like this,

but I was at the opera...

and it occurred to me you'd want

to read this at the earliest opportunity.

The correction you asked for

of our statement on the plebiscite.

You'll probably want

to send it on to the Vatican.

I think you'll find it covers

all the points we discussed.

- When will this be published?

- Is Your Excellency joking?

The Nazis aren't going to let anything

be printed that will lose them votes.

I suggest you have it read in every church

in the country, Sunday morning.

That's the day of the plebiscite.

Won't many people go to Mass

before they vote?

- It might cause disturbances.

- Then you reject the idea?

Unless I get a direct order from

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