L'église de France et les enfants juifs
Book Description
This meticulously researched work examines a profound moral dilemma that emerged in post-war France, revealing the complex intersection of faith, ethics, and human compassion during one of history's darkest periods. Catherine Poujol uncovers a previously unknown directive from 1946 that instructed Catholic organizations not to return baptized Jewish children to their families, even their own parents, following their rescue during the Holocaust.
Through careful analysis of historical documents and personal accounts, Poujol explores how religious leaders navigated the tension between institutional directives and moral conscience. The book traces the efforts of Jewish organizations working tirelessly to reunite surviving children with their families, while examining how Catholic missions simultaneously sought to place these same children in French Catholic homes.
The author presents a nuanced investigation that goes beyond simple condemnation, exploring the varied responses of individual church leaders like Cardinal Gerlier and Bishop Caillot. Some chose to follow institutional orders, while others found ways to honor their deeper calling to reunite families torn apart by persecution.
This 376-page study offers readers an opportunity to reflect on how institutions and individuals respond when faced with competing moral imperatives. It challenges us to consider how we might act when our deepest spiritual convictions conflict with institutional expectations, providing valuable insights for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of moral decision-making during times of crisis.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~10 hours)
📄 Length: 376 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Persecutions
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects
- ✓ Explore World War, 1939-1945
- ✓ Explore Catholic Church
- ✓ Explore Church history
- ✓ Explore Jews
- ✓ Explore Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
- ✓ Explore Jewish children in the Holocaust
