Herr Hitler and Church Government Herr Hitler's decree proclaiming elections
for a new Church Synod in Germany has come as a surprise, and means what it may prove to mean. The Confessional Church has been justified in the resoluteness of its stand for the Christian Gospel as opposed to a Gospel subordinated to State policy. Reich Bishop Muller failed to break its independence of spirit, and the Church Committee under Dr. /Uhler, set up by the Church Minister Herr Kernl to effect a settlement between the Confessional Church and the submissive German Christians, has abandoned its task and resigned. Now the expected decree subjecting the Confes- sional Church to the State has been withheld, and instead elections for a new Church administraiion are to take place. Not too much can be expected of them. Subtle pressure may or may not be exerted—it certal.ily was at the last similar election in 1933—but in any case, since not only regular attenders but merely nominal Church members have the vote, the will of the Party is likely enough to prevail and the question of the position of the Confessional minority will still have to be faced. Meanwhile the Catholic bishops are making courageous protests against the flagrant breaches by the Government of the concordat with the Vatican. It is from the Churches today that the only open opposition to the regime can be looked for.
