Lyon
September 6, 1942
What if the other dioceses asked the cardinal for permission to read his letter throughout the parishes of France? Pierre Gerlier hesitated as this thought occurred to him. He was unsure what the repercussions would be if the missive in his hands were made available to the rest of the church. Rome had sought a policy of appeasement to curb the growing persecution against Catholics, but they would not be able to stay silent forever. Gerlier knew he was not the first to rebel against the collaborationist policies of his government. Monsignor Saliège, the archbishop of Toulouse, had spoken out just days before. The mass deportation of Jews that fateful summer had moved many hearts, but Saliège was one of the most important and influential men of the church in France. He chose not to hold his tongue.
Cardinal Gerlier wondered how to go about loving his enemies, those despicable men who did such damage in the world. But he knew that if he did not love them, he would sow hatred instead, and there would never be peace, only vast devastation.
Gerlier’s own people had been taken, the sheep from his flock in Lyon, and this infuriated him. The letter penned by his brother Saliège was clear and to the point. Saliège’s words stirred even Gerlier’s conscience.
For the hundredth time, Gerlier read back over the letter written by his archbishop friend.
My dearest brothers,
There is a Christian morality, a human morality, which imposes duties and recognizes rights. These duties and these rights are an inherent part of human nature. They come from God. We can violate them, but no mortal has the power to suspend them.
A sad spectacle has unfolded in our times: children, women, men, fathers, and mothers are treated as lowly farm animals; family members are separated from one another and shipped off to unknown destinations.
Why does the right of sanctuary in our churches no longer exist?
Why are we defeated?
Lord, have mercy on us.
Our Lady, pray for France.
In our diocese, scenes of terror took place in the camps of Noah and Récébédou. Jews are men, Jews are women. It is not true that anything and everything can be done to them, can be done against these men, against these women, against the fathers and mothers of these families. They are part of the human race. They are our brothers like so many others. A Christian must never forget this.
France, my beloved fatherland France, in the consciousness of all your children flows the tradition of respect for the human person. Chivalrous and generous France, I have no doubt, you are not the one responsible for these horrors.
Once again the words of the short missive left Gerlier breathless. He could not improve upon the rhetoric, the style, or the heart behind them. He was convinced that the one they served, the Jew from Nazareth, would be proud of their letters. That Jew had come to the world to save what had been lost, not to spread more hatred and evil among humanity. Gerlier looked at his own letter and prayed again for God to protect all the Jews and Catholics in France. Then it was time. He stood, donned his holy robes, and headed for the cathedral of Lyon to officiate. His lot had been cast.