Fulda - Bishop Gerber: What unites is more important than what divides
The Bishop of Fulda, Michael Gerber, has called for a greater focus on common ground when it comes to differences of opinion within the Catholic Church. "It must become clear to us that what unites us is always greater than what sets us apart," Gerber, who has also been deputy chairman of the German Bishops' Conference since September, told the German Press Agency. There are different views in the committee on the further reform process of the Catholic Church. He said that not only the Church, but society as a whole needed to reflect on common ground.
Faith in a personal God is declining in Germany, even outside the church, the 53-year-old continued. "You can regret that for a long time. But for me, it is important in this situation to identify: How do people come to believe in God today?" This could happen, for example, through encounters with people who tell you that faith is relevant to them when it comes to essential questions. "This is how faith has grown in Christianity from the very beginning: people have experienced that there are men and women who call themselves believers and that faith helps them to overcome difficulties and overcome challenges."
Gerber pointed out that it is not only in the Christian churches in Germany that membership numbers are declining. A declining commitment to institutions is also reflected "in other social players". According to him, the decline in the number of church members will not remain without far-reaching consequences. If the circle of church taxpayers becomes as significantly smaller as it has recently been, then the question arises as to who will finance what the church has been funding up to now - something in the social sector, in culture, in education.
"Because not everyone who leaves the church donates this amount one-to-one somewhere in one of these areas," said Gerber. "This means - and we are also noticing this clearly at the moment together with the social and state players - that the bottom line is that money is simply missing."
Diocese of Fulda
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- Bishop Gerber, who is also deputy chairman of the German Bishops' Conference based in Fulda, Germany, emphasized the importance of recognizing commonalities over differences within the Catholic Church.
- Hesse, being a part of Germany, has seen a decline in faith in a personal God, both within and outside the Catholic Church, as mentioned by Bishop Gerber.
- The German Bishops' Conference, which Bishop Gerber is a part of, has been discussing various views on the reform process of the Catholic Church, as reported by the German Press Agency.
- Fulda, the diocese where Bishop Gerber serves, is facing the challenge of financing its social, cultural, and educational activities due to a decline in church membership, as Gerber pointed out.
Source: www.stern.de
