Weird. I'll need to see your resources on the connection between the Catholic Church and Francisco Franco. I haven't heard anything of the sort, but it may be that I am simply misinformed. I'm sure you'll have no trouble fetching the data for me, and I hope you will. I know you guys wouldn't simply post things because you heard someone say it. I also do not think this is...too much of a biased site.

The only thing I really know that much about is the nazi oppression of gays. First of all, I know how you feel. They killed and oppressed Catholics, as well.
I have also read into the reasons behind Hitler's tenatious oppression towards gays. Everyone knows the reasons behind his ill-tolerance of Jews and Catholics, but few have really questioned why he would target the gay community, as well. Many people dismiss it as simply homophobia. However, I didn't buy it as a good enough reason, so I did some back-checking.

Apparently it had to do with Hitler's own sexual past. He grew up with a sort or sexual-confusion due to abuse by his father. Also, he grew up having many gay lovers (they were Jewish, too) and even employed known pedafiles into his ranks once he founded the nazi party. His true sexual orientation is a bit hazy, though it is assumed he was bi-sexual. Regaurdless, he was a sexualy frustraited man. A feeling of hidden shame was thought to have grown in him, which he exercised on homosexuals outside of his ranks (He allowed such activity within his own party). This is what is thought to be the cause of the nazi oppression of gays.

Some of the intel I picked up is a bit hazy, but I thought you chaps might find this interesting. No doubt many of you are not convinced and I can send you some reference material if you wish. There is no sense in asking for any if I don't give any, after all.

There was no real point to this...I just like history, psycology, and learning of the past...

Quotes from FRANCO by Paul Preston, Copyright
1994 by Basic Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

After the army revolted against the Republican government of Spain in 1936,
Franco quickly rose to be the leader of the insurrection, which was supported by
the Catholic Church. Franco's propaganda presented him as a modern Catholic
Crusader:
"The analogy was given the sanction of the Church on 30 September by
the long pastoral letter, entitled 'The Two Cities', issued by the Bishop of
Salamanca Dr Enrique Pli y Deniel. The Church had long since come out in
favour of the military rebels but not hitherto as explicitly as Pli y Deniel. His
pastoral built on the blessing given by Plus XI to exiled Spaniards at
Castelgandolfo on 14 September in which the Pope had distinguished between
the Christian heroism of the Nationalists and the savage barbarism of the
Republic. Pli y Deniel's text quoted St Augustine to distinguish between the
earthly city (the Republican zone) where hatred, anarchy and Communism
prevailed, and the celestial city (the Nationalist zone) where the love of God,
heroism and martyrdom were the rule. For the first time, the word 'crusade' was
used to describe the Civil War." The text was submitted to Franco before being
published."{184-185}

Heh...fascinating. Thanks for the document, Lexnyc. This has perked my interest. I'll have to look into it when I get the chance. Right now I'm tied up in school research...

"They [nazis] killed and oppressed Catholics", are you kidding me? Of course some of the people they killed and oppressed were Catholics, but being Catholic was not the reason why they were killed and oppressed. Go read a few things and you'll find out how well Hitler and the German Catholic bosses went along...

PS: The map on the post is not the best one, I'm afraid... It's from "Hispania" and not Spain. Being "Hispania" the name of Iberian Peninsula during Roman Era... There are 4 independent countries in that area today, Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar (wich belongs to UK).