Resistance in Norway (Cont'd)

The leader of Norway's church defiance of Quisling and Hitler-ex-Primate and ex-Bishop of Oslo Eivind Berggrav-was thrown into the Bretvedt concentration camp along with three of his pastors last week, on charges of "instigation to rebellion."

Circulated through Norway was a secretly printed manifesto which called imprisoned Eivind Berggrav "more than ever our Bishop and spiritual leader," .roundly declared: "A fight is on, a deadly fight between irreconcilable opponents, between Christians and barbarians, a fight for everything which we love and cherish, against brutality and lawlessness, a fight which will make the Nazi hangmen tremble. . . . The fight of the Norwegian Church is Norway's fight, for the whole of Norway is united behind the Church."

After the fight came into the open on Easter Sunday, when all but 60 of the 1,100 ministers in 97%-Lutheran Norway's State Church quit their posts rather than cooperate with the puppet regime, Vidkun Quisling lost round after round.

Having so few clergy to back him, Quisling issued a decree authorizing laymen to preach in the churches. He could not round up lay preachers.

Next Quisling ordered the pastors to resume office. They refused.

Then Quisling said the pastors could resign-but only if they first got permission from his Church Ministry. None did.

Quisling was finally forced to repudiate his threat to arrest all pastors who did not withdraw their resignations by 2 p.m. Saturday, and early reports indicated that the resigned pastors had been able to conduct their Sunday services as "free clergymen" without Quisling or Nazi interference.

The pastors resignation was much more than a moral protest. It meant that they gave up comfortable incomes for their convictions--for in Norway, as in Germany, the State pays clerical salaries, as well as the cost of church administration, church building and church repairs. Now Quisling will pay only the salaries of the few clergymen loyal to him and support only those churches which give allegiance to his government. But the hardy Norse will undoubtedly find ways to back their spiritual leaders materially as well as morally. The Confessional Church in Germany has existed entirely on such secret gifts since 1939.

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