In ecclesiastical circles, Bishop Sasse of Thuringia was first in line, aching to say ‘thank you’ to his Führer, and doing so by demanding that all of the pastors under him take a personal “oath of loyalty” to Hitler. His telegram to Hitler has been preserved: “My Führer, I report: in a great historic hour all the pastors of the Thuringian Evangelical Church, obeying an inner command, have with joyful hearts taken an oath of loyalty to Führer and Reich. . . . One God—one obedience in the faith. Hail, my Führer!” In short order other bishops, afraid to be left out of the riot of gratitude,
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