Minister in Charge of Environmental Affairs - Bätzing, a bishop, holds hope for the church's potential for change.
The Catholic bishops are seeking change in the German Church, despite pushback from the Vatican. They're looking at involving laypeople and potentially ordaining women as deacons, according to Georg Baetzing, chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, during the German Catholic Day in Erfurt last week. The event, which attracted more than 20,000 people, also focused on differentiating themselves from the far-right AfD party.
This year's 103rd German Catholic Day kicked off on Wednesday and will run until Sunday. Catholics at the event were discussing changes within their church. Bishop Baetzing discussed the possibility of women becoming deacons with the president of the Central Committee of German Catholics, Irme Stetter-Karp, on Thursday.
Baetzing believes that women could become deacons in the Catholic Church but is hesitant to commit to a specific timeline. Pope Francis had claimed in an interview that a Catholic girl would never become a consecrated deacon, but Baetzing noted that he's heard the Pope say otherwise. He emphasized that forcing the ordination of women in Germany would lead to a significant rift. "We know what happened 500 years ago."
Stetter-Karp urged for quicker reforms. "We need a church that people are drawn to," said the head of the lay association. She mentioned a study showing that 96% of Catholics in Germany want changes. However, she also lamented the slow progress in the reform process Synodal Way. Despite her frustration, she said, "I wouldn't be a Christian or could call myself one if I didn't believe in change."
Ramelow criticizes AfD during rainy visit
Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Left) supported the organizers' decision not to invite the AfD to discussions. "They always play the victim role," Ramelow said of AfD politicians and their behavior. He criticized the party's use of dialogue opportunities to later present themselves as victims. Ramelow added that the Catholic Day wasn't interested in such a "try and error" approach.
The Catholic Day had previously announced it wouldn't invite the AfD to the stages. Bishop Ulrich Neymeyr spoke out about this in a mass for the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi, emphasizing the need for justice and peace in society.
Other countries' political situations were also being discussed during the faith meeting. Human rights activist Irina Scherbakowa, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and co-founder of the Russian human rights organization Memorial, participated in various events. She spoke about the situation in her home country and the dangers a free society faces if people lose faith in trustworthy institutions.
Organizers are carefully monitoring weather forecasts for the rest of the event. According to the German Weather Service in Erfurt, heavy rain accompanied by strong winds and thunderstorms could occur over the weekend. The organizational team is in constant contact with the DWD (German Weather Service). If necessary, they may need to cancel or relocate outdoor events. So far, no events have been postponed or relocated. Participants are being kept informed through the Catholic Women's Day app.
Check out these links for more information: [Link]
Here's the program for the event: [Link] [Link] [#human rights, #germany, #catholic day]
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