Re: EJ a convert?

[John M Stroup <stroup@ruf.rice.edu>]

From _Junge Freiheit_, 27.2.1998, Nr. 10/98, p. 22:

caption to photograph showing a crucifer in cotta or surplice carrying a
processional crucifix:  "Im Zeichen des Kreuzes:  Drei junge
Messdienerinnen [!--JS] bereiten sich hinter der Schlosskirche stolz auf
den Abmarsch vor.  Junger hatte die katholische Kirche haufig besucht."

extract from art, pp. 22f., by Dieter Stein, "Ein heiterer und privater
Abschied vom letzten Krieger,":

"Die Zeit zur Totenmesse [!--JS] uberbruckten die fruhzeitig Angereisten
im ortlichen Gasthof, .... "  To be sure, as with the term "priest," so
also with "mass," the North European languages show at times a loose usage
by the high church party or the militantly anticlerical such that a
non-Roman use of these terms is known.  However, the surface presumption
with Totenmesse would be first of all a Roman Catholic or Orthodox service
rather than a High Lutheran or Anglican, if I am not mistaken.  In the
context of the caption to the photograph cited immediately above the clear
sense must be of an actual mass of the Roman rite unless I am missing some
contextual implication.

on the second page of the same article, i.e. from p. 23, the following
extracts rendered in US PINE without diacritical marks:

"Kaum 200 Gaste finden sitzend in der barocken Pfarrkirche St. Nepomuk
Platz, ...."

"Junger hat zeitlebens Abstand zur Kirche gehalten. .... Zum Ende seines
Lebens hatte sich Junger, der als Protestant geboren wurde, mit dem
Katholizismus der Wilflinger Region angefreundet.  Der Gottesdienst
zelebriert den naiven [!--J.S.], innigen Charakter der kraftigen romischen
Kirche." Here again is no absolutely unambiguous narrative of EJ's
conversion; yet the implication is clear.

"Jungers 25jahrige Enkelin Irina singt das 'Ave Maria' Charles Gounods.
Vertreter der umliegenden Burgerwehren ... stehen links und rechts des vor
dem Altar aufgestellten Sarges."

"Letzte Gebete am Grab.  Laut und kraftig sprechen die Trauergaste das
Vaterunser."

Supplementary photos in the _FAZ_, 23.2.98, p. 35, with art. noting
presence of Rolf Hochhuth at the burial.

Any details or corrections would be welcome.  This is the fullest account
I am finding in the material ready to hand at the moment.  It seems to
point to an actual, formal conversion so far as I can tell--unless some
contextual points show up to allow it to be read differently.  Certainly
one would wish for a more explicit and detailed narrative on precisely
these points.  Exactly why all this is so difficult to puzzle out from
available press accounts (and it is!) would be a fascinating chapter in
the history of media relations and the inner workings of journalism.


 On Fri, 17 Apr 1998, John King
wrote:

> At 16:49 11.04.98 -0500, you wrote:
> >Appears to be correct from press accounts.  Not clear is the time of the
> >conversion.
> 
> Could you give an idea of which press accounts? I have to say the idea of
> Jünger as a late convert is new to me.
> 
> JK
> 
> 
>