The Anschluss Innitzer's role in early 20th century Austrian history remains disputed because of his involvement in politics. Despite early support for the
Anschluss, Innitzer became a critic of
National Socialism and was subject to further violent intimidation. This assessment stems from his cooperation with the
Austro-fascist government of
Engelbert Dollfuß and
Kurt Schuschnigg from 1934 to 1938, which based many of its economic and
social policies on the teachings of the Catholic Church. He and the other Austrian Catholic
bishops signed a declaration endorsing the
Anschluss, set up by
Gauleiter Josef Bürckel, and signed by Innitzer with "
Heil Hitler!". Without the bishops' consent, the Nazi regime disseminated this statement throughout the
German Reich.
Vatican Radio had recently broadcast a vehement denunciation of the Nazi action, and Cardinal Pacelli (soon to become
Pope Pius XII) ordered Innitzer to report to the
Vatican. Before meeting with Pius XI, Innitzer met with Pacelli, who had been outraged by Innitzer's statement. He made it clear that Innitzer needed to retract and was made to sign a new statement, issued on behalf of all the Austrian bishops, which asserted that "the solemn declaration of the Austrian bishops ... was clearly not intended to be an approval of something that was not and is not compatible with God's law." The Vatican newspaper also reported that the bishops' earlier statement had been issued without the approval of the
Holy See.
Nazi intimidation In April 1938, in honour of
Hitler's birthday, Cardinal Innitzer had ordered that all Austrian churches fly the swastika flag, ring bells, and pray for Hitler. Innitzer also called a day of prayer in the
Cathedral of St. Stephen of Vienna for 7 October 1938, which was attended by almost 9,000 people, mostly young people. In the sermon, Innitzer declared that "we must confess our faith in our
Führer, for there is just one Führer: Jesus Christ." Nazi leaders were angered: about 100
Nazis, among them many older members of the
Hitler Youth, ransacked the archbishop's residence the next day. In Britain, the
Catholic Herald provided the following contemporary account on 14 October 1938: During the war, Innitzer was critical of the
anti-Semitic and racist policies of the Nazis towards the
Austrian Jews and the Catholic
gypsies of the Austrian countryside. He openly, though moderately, supported the
war effort against the
Soviet Union, however. Years before, he had campaigned against Soviet policies. In 1933, based on data collected by undercover investigation and photographs, Innitzer sought to raise awareness in the West of the
Holodomor and even cases of
cannibalism that were occurring in
Ukraine and the
North Caucasus at that time. In October 1944, Innitzer preached in the parish of Vienna-Reindorf, which also included members of the NSDAP local group who listened and wrote a report about it. They reported that Innitzer attributed the war to God directly; he saw it as a punishment for lukewarm participation in church life: children not receiving Communion, absolution in confession, or religious instruction at school. Seminaries were closing, and only one sixth of Catholics attended Holy Mass. The report understood this as indirect criticism of the National Socialist government, since their measures had suppressed the church's influence. == Writings ==