"The best expression of Hitler's enmity towards Christianity appears in his comments on the "castle of the teutonic knights" Vogelsang: "I will crush Christianity under my boot like a poisonous toad." The German general Groppe received a confirmation for the authenticity of this in April, 1939, during a fairly long private audience with Pope Pius XII. They Holy Father confirmed the correctness of Hitler's words and added, the papal nuncio had sought out the Reich chancellor and asked him how such a statement could be reconciled with the concordat. Hitler supposedly gave him "his holiest word of honor" that he had never said any such thing. However, the Pope declared: "He had indeed said it.""