Dear CatoRenasci,
"Duties to the Nazi government is hardly simple, or cut and dried, one answer fits all question."
In the main, I agree.
"To begin with, the Nazi government did achieve initial power legitimately in 1933."
More or less.
"It was over a period of years and with sometimes little by little steps that ordinary Germans became enmeshed in the regime and the regime became illegitimate."
I agree.
"The point at which any individual's duty to the German state was abrogated by the illegitimacy of the states demands and/or orders of an individual's superior is hardly crystal clear, and is probably different for different people in different situations."
In the main, I agree, but with a reservation. Regarding specific Nazi governmental actions, it became pretty clear that obedience could not be given.
Anyway, thank you for making my point.
Although it came to power in a mostly legitimate fashion, at some point, Germans no longer owed a duty to obey at least certain Nazi laws and governmental commands.
That is all that is being said, here. Catholics owe no duty to obey, to enforce intrinsically evil laws. In fact, no one owes such a duty, but Pope Benedict is only trying to give moral guidance to Catholics, in this case.
sitetest
What troubles me about using the Nazis as an example is that one did not have the option under the Nazi state of stating the point of conscience and resigning. In Spain, and here for that matter, it's the simplest thing in the world to resign on a point of conscience. No on will shoot you or turn you over to the secret police. My point earlier is that if you can't take the oath in good conscience, don't. And, if having taken it, you can no longer fulfill it, then resign. And don't complain when your fellow citizens do not elect you because they don't want you to put your religious views ahead of your oath of office.