A Catholic school has been forced to apologise after officials included gates to Auschwitz in their Halloween float.
St. Joseph Catholic School in Hanover, Pennsylvania, displayed a replica of the gates into the concentration camp with the words ‘Arbeit Macht Frei,’ which translates to ‘Work Makes You Free’.
The float, which was shared on social media on Friday night, soon received criticism from locals.
One woman commented: ‘Why would there be a concentration camp entryway on a float? There’s literally no reason that archway should be anywhere.’
Another said: ‘The fact that even some people think this is remotely funny should tell you a lot about the people they are. This is very disturbing.’
The man who designed the float, Galen S Shelley,insisted he was ‘unaware of the significance’.
He said: ‘I wanted to illustrate the idea none of us get out of this life alive.
‘I never intended anything to be like this. I couldn’t have anticipated it. I made a mistake and I ask everyone’s forgiveness.’
He added the gates were not part of his original design but they were included after their archway did not arrive in time.
The Diocese of Harrisburg and a local cleaning company whose vehicle was used to pull the float have since apologised.
Harrisburg Bishop Timothy C Senior claimed the original float design approved by the school did not include the gate, and he was ‘shocked and appalled’ when he saw it on the float.
He said: ‘The inclusion of this image – one that represents the horrific suffering and murder of millions of innocent people, including six million Jews during the Holocaust – is profoundly offensive and unacceptable.
‘While the original, approved design for this float did not contain the imagery, it does not change the fact that this highly recognizable symbol of hate was included.
‘On behalf of the Diocese of Harrisburg, I express my sincere apology to our Jewish brothers and sisters, and to all who were hurt or offended by this display.
‘I strongly condemn the inclusion of this symbol on the float. As Catholics, we stand firmly against all forms of antisemitism, hatred and prejudice, which are rampant in our society.
‘The Church’s relationship with the Jewish community is one of deep respect, friendship and shared faith in the one true God.
‘Let us continue to pray for healing, understanding and unity among all of God’s people.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.