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Rumanian Church Leader Prints Attack on Jews; Jewish Exodus Would Hurt Nation, Filderman Holds

August 20, 1937
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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JEWISH CIRCLES WERE SERIOUSLY DISTURBED TODAY OVER A VIRULENT ANTI-JEWISH STATEMENT PUBLISHED IN THE BUCHAREST DAILY, CURENTUL, ATTRIBUTED TO PATRIARCH MIRON CHRISTEA, SUPREME LEADER OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF RUMANIA.

THE CHURCHMAN, WHO HAS ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS MADE ANTI-SEMITIC UTTERANCES, DECLARED IN A STATEMENT:

“THE JEWS HAVE CAUSED AN EPIDEMIC OF CORRUPTION AND SOCIAL UNREST. THEY MONOPOLIZE THE PRESS, WHICH, WITH THE AID OF FOREIGN HELP, CONTINUALLY FLAYS ALL THE SPIRITUAL TREASURES OF THE RUMANIANS. ONE FEELS LIKE CRYING WITH PITY FOR THE GOOD RUMANIAN NATION, WHOSE VERY MARROW HAS BEEN SUCKED FROM ITS BONES BY THE JEWS.

“TO DEFEND OURSELVES IS A NATIONAL AND PATRIOTIC DUTY, NOT ANTI-SEMITIC. LACK OF MEASURES TO GET RID OF THIS PLAGUE WOULD INDICATE THAT WE WERE LAZY COWARDS WHO LET OURSELVES BE CARRIED ALIVE TO OUR GRAVES.

“WHY SHOULD THE JEWS ENJOY THE PRIVILEGE OF LIVING LIKE PARASITES UPON OUR BACKS? WHY SHOULD WE NOT GET RID OF THESE PARASITES WHO SUCK RUMANIAN CHRISTIAN BLOOD? IT IS LOGICAL AND HOLY TO REACT AGAINST THEM.

“TO DISLOCATE ARABS FROM THEIR HOMES IN PALESTINE FOR THE SAKE OF THE JEW IS NEITHER RIGHT NOR HUMANE. THE DUTY OF A CHRISTIAN IS TO LOVE HIMSELF FIRST AND TO SEE THAT HIS NEEDS ARE SATISFIED. ONLY THEN CAN HE HELP HIS NEIGHBOR IF HE APPROACHES HIM WITH A CLEAN SOUL AND IN A SPIRIT OF GOOD NEIGHBORLINESS.”

ALL NATIONALIST NEWSPAPERS REPRINTED THE STATEMENT ON THEIR FRONT PAGES.

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