Belgium 's senior cleric , Cardinal van Roey , had backed Pope Pius XI 's strong condemnation of the '' Kristallnacht '' pogrom of 1938 . Van Roey intervened with the authorities to rescue Jews , and encouraged various institutions to aid Jewish children . On 24 September 1942 , he joined Queen Mother Elizabeth in protesting the arrest of six leading Jews and secured the release of five of the men . Léon Platteau of the Interior Ministry also made a stance to protect Jews
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Catholic resistance to Nazi Germany